Office of the Press Secretary
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today spoke with leaders from global shipping companies, including UPS, DHL, FedEx and TNT, to discuss enhanced air cargo screening and security efforts following last week’s disrupted attempt to conceal and ship explosive devices onboard aircraft bound for the United States.
During the call, Secretary Napolitano underscored her commitment to partnering with the shipping industry to strengthen cargo security through enhanced screening and preventative measures, including terrorism awareness training for personnel. Together, UPS, DHL, FedEx and TNT employ more than one million employees in hundreds of countries around the world.
Following her call with shipping industry leaders, Secretary Napolitano spoke with International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General Giovanni Bisignani about the Department's continued collaboration with our private sector partners and international allies to secure the global supply chain through a layered security approach to identify, deter and disrupt threats. She also reiterated her commitment to ongoing coordination with the airline and shipping industries to uphold TSA security standards, including the vetting of personnel with access to cargo, employee training, and cargo screening procedures.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Family Matters Blog: Blogger Learns How to Handle a Bully
How to Handle a Bully.... And if you can find them, you can hire he A-Team.....
Just kidding, here's the official news - It's Sunday smile already.
Fri, 05 Nov 2010 16:31:00 -0500
Family Matters Blog: Blogger Learns How to Handle a Bully
By Elaine Wilson
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2010 - My 8-year-old daughter came home in tears last month after just a few weeks at her new school.
After much cajoling, she told me what was wrong. Turns out another girl had been calling her not-so-nice names in the cafeteria. My daughter is somewhat timid, so she walked away rather than confront the situation.
And I was left with a conundrum. Do I tell my daughter to call her a name back? Have her go back and tell the teacher? Or do I call the teacher myself?
Long gone are the days of my youth, when bullying was seen as a rite of passage. I remember getting teased in middle school and coming home in tears to tell my mother. "She's just jealous," my mom said of my dreaded persecutor.
I wanted to beg to differ. The bully and I had nothing in common; she probably didn't even know my name. But, it felt better to soak in the jealous theory rather than believe that someone saw me as weak enough to be picked on.
So, I laid low until the bully found another victim, which she did rather quickly. I never considered going to a teacher or the school counselor, and as for bully rehab, I can only hope my bully learned her lesson over time.
Although I can't speak for other schools, bullying wasn't talked about in mine. If you were unlucky enough to be tagged a victim, you just endured it or fought back.
Times sure have changed. The bullying issue has grabbed the nation's attention in recent months, particularly after several high-profile cases hit the news. Sadly, several teens reportedly took their own lives rather than face continued torment from their persecutors.
The Internet too has created an entirely different realm for bullies. With cyberbullying, bullies potentially have a worldwide audience for their harassment.
In a national effort to stop bullying, the departments of Education, and Health and Human Services joined with four other departments, including the Defense Department, last year to create a federal task force on bullying. And in August, the task force held its first National Bullying Summit to bring to light the issue and to find a path to stop it for good.
Schools are doing their part as well. Defense Department schools have built bullying prevention into their curriculum for kindergarten through 12th grade. And school officials are encouraging students to do their part to keep schools safe. Rather than stand by and watch someone being bullied, students are taught to either help the victim or turn the bully's attention to other pursuits.
And if bullying does occur, students are taught how to handle it. I asked Patricia Cassiday, director of pupil personnel services for the Department of Defense Education Activity, to explain how the activity handles bullying. I think the information she passed on is helpful for students in any school.
The victim should first be assertive, she advised. "Right away, be clear you want them to stop. Say, 'I don't like it when you ...' then get out of the situation."
If it continues, victims should let the bully know they are going to ask for help. A counselor will then talk with the bully and, if it still continues, disciplinary action will be taken.
All bets are off, however, when physical violence is involved, Cassiday said. In those cases, the bully will be disciplined immediately.
Parental involvement is key throughout this process. Parents should let school officials know if something is wrong in case they weren't already aware – which brings me back to my conundrum.
Based on Cassiday's advice, since my daughter was too timid to confront the girl, my best bet was to let my daughter's teacher know what happened, which is exactly what I did.
The teacher talked with the student, and it hasn't happened again. I feel very fortunate to have resolved this so easily. Many parents and children have persistent issues with bullying that aren't so easily settled.
It will take a concerted, ongoing effort to tackle this pervasive problem, and maybe it can't be eliminated entirely. But with the nation's stepped-up prevention and education efforts, I see progress. And I definitely feel much better equipped to handle bullying than I did as a 15-year-old.
If you have some helpful bullying prevention tips or advice on how to handle a bully, please don't hesitate to share. I'd particularly like to hear from our military families, whose children are so often the "new kids on the block" at school.
For more on bullying prevention, including some helpful resources, see my American Forces Press Service article "DOD Takes Steps to Stop Bullying."
To comment on this blog, visit the Family Matters website.
Just kidding, here's the official news - It's Sunday smile already.
Fri, 05 Nov 2010 16:31:00 -0500
Family Matters Blog: Blogger Learns How to Handle a Bully
By Elaine Wilson
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2010 - My 8-year-old daughter came home in tears last month after just a few weeks at her new school.
After much cajoling, she told me what was wrong. Turns out another girl had been calling her not-so-nice names in the cafeteria. My daughter is somewhat timid, so she walked away rather than confront the situation.
And I was left with a conundrum. Do I tell my daughter to call her a name back? Have her go back and tell the teacher? Or do I call the teacher myself?
Long gone are the days of my youth, when bullying was seen as a rite of passage. I remember getting teased in middle school and coming home in tears to tell my mother. "She's just jealous," my mom said of my dreaded persecutor.
I wanted to beg to differ. The bully and I had nothing in common; she probably didn't even know my name. But, it felt better to soak in the jealous theory rather than believe that someone saw me as weak enough to be picked on.
So, I laid low until the bully found another victim, which she did rather quickly. I never considered going to a teacher or the school counselor, and as for bully rehab, I can only hope my bully learned her lesson over time.
Although I can't speak for other schools, bullying wasn't talked about in mine. If you were unlucky enough to be tagged a victim, you just endured it or fought back.
Times sure have changed. The bullying issue has grabbed the nation's attention in recent months, particularly after several high-profile cases hit the news. Sadly, several teens reportedly took their own lives rather than face continued torment from their persecutors.
The Internet too has created an entirely different realm for bullies. With cyberbullying, bullies potentially have a worldwide audience for their harassment.
In a national effort to stop bullying, the departments of Education, and Health and Human Services joined with four other departments, including the Defense Department, last year to create a federal task force on bullying. And in August, the task force held its first National Bullying Summit to bring to light the issue and to find a path to stop it for good.
Schools are doing their part as well. Defense Department schools have built bullying prevention into their curriculum for kindergarten through 12th grade. And school officials are encouraging students to do their part to keep schools safe. Rather than stand by and watch someone being bullied, students are taught to either help the victim or turn the bully's attention to other pursuits.
And if bullying does occur, students are taught how to handle it. I asked Patricia Cassiday, director of pupil personnel services for the Department of Defense Education Activity, to explain how the activity handles bullying. I think the information she passed on is helpful for students in any school.
The victim should first be assertive, she advised. "Right away, be clear you want them to stop. Say, 'I don't like it when you ...' then get out of the situation."
If it continues, victims should let the bully know they are going to ask for help. A counselor will then talk with the bully and, if it still continues, disciplinary action will be taken.
All bets are off, however, when physical violence is involved, Cassiday said. In those cases, the bully will be disciplined immediately.
Parental involvement is key throughout this process. Parents should let school officials know if something is wrong in case they weren't already aware – which brings me back to my conundrum.
Based on Cassiday's advice, since my daughter was too timid to confront the girl, my best bet was to let my daughter's teacher know what happened, which is exactly what I did.
The teacher talked with the student, and it hasn't happened again. I feel very fortunate to have resolved this so easily. Many parents and children have persistent issues with bullying that aren't so easily settled.
It will take a concerted, ongoing effort to tackle this pervasive problem, and maybe it can't be eliminated entirely. But with the nation's stepped-up prevention and education efforts, I see progress. And I definitely feel much better equipped to handle bullying than I did as a 15-year-old.
If you have some helpful bullying prevention tips or advice on how to handle a bully, please don't hesitate to share. I'd particularly like to hear from our military families, whose children are so often the "new kids on the block" at school.
For more on bullying prevention, including some helpful resources, see my American Forces Press Service article "DOD Takes Steps to Stop Bullying."
To comment on this blog, visit the Family Matters website.
Media Availability with Secretary Gates en route to Melbourne, Australia
SECRETARY GATES: I’ll just say a few words about the visit to Australia. This will be my third AUSMIN [Australia-United States Ministerial] meeting, my second in Australia. It’ll be my first without my arm in a sling. So I’m looking forward to that.
And we have a pretty ambitious agenda and I think it really reflects the – this is a very old alliance, but we keep expanding the nature of the cooperation. For example, there will be a focus on some new subjects this time, like cyber. We’ll talk further about missile defense, about surveillance, space surveillance and so on. So, you know, in addition to the areas of cooperation that we’ve had for a long time, we’re adding these.
As you know, we’re working on a Global Posture Review, and we’re looking at ways to strengthen and perhaps make more robust our presence in Asia. We’re looking at a number of different options.
One of those includes talking with the Australians about whether there’s some areas where we can work together in a mutually beneficial way, do some additional things here in – or in Australia. And so we’ll be having some conversations about that. I don’t think – I think it’s fair to say we’re not looking at – as part of the posture review, we’re not looking at adding any bases or anything – any new bases in Asia, but really how do we enhance the relationships that we already have.
Q: So on that note, is this enhancing the U.S. presence aimed at China in some way and do you run the risk of somehow antagonizing [inaudible]?
SECRETARY GATES: No, this isn’t about China at all. This is really about – you know, we’ve enhanced our naval cooperation with a number of these countries in recent years as part of the counterterrorism effort, part of the effort to deal with piracy in the Malacca Straits and now in the Indian Ocean. We’ve done a lot with these countries in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and that’s clearly an area.
I mean, that’s – those are a couple of areas where we actually have a common interest with the Chinese in working together. That’s one of the agenda items that Gen. Shuand I talked about as long ago as October 2009. And so this is really more about continuing U.S. presence and building these relationships, and it’s more about our relationships with the rest of Asia than it is about China.
You know, we’ve really enhanced our engagement over the last 18 months or so. With Secretary Clinton’s participation in the Asia regional forum and with her participation in the East Asian Summit, my participation in the 8th ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] Defense Ministers Plus meet, and so we’ve been doing a lot in Asia that is really about building our relationships with a lot of different countries.
Q: Mr. Secretary, I want to ask you about the election outcomes. Do you think that the –
SECRETARY GATES: Ours?
Q: (Laughs.) Yes, exactly, ours, [inaudible] one in Australia, too, but – yeah, U.S. election outcome. In the short run, do you see any prospect for passage of START [Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty] and repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in the lame duck? And then going forward into the spring, do you think the election outcome makes it more or less likely that President Obama will decide to pull a significant number of forces from Afghanistan in the summer?
SECRETARY GATES: Well, first of all, I hope that the Congress will – that the Senate will ratify a new START. I think it’s in our interest. Both the chairman and I have testified why we think it’s in our security interest to ratify the treaty.
I would like to see the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” but I’m not sure what the prospects for that are and we’ll just have to see.
In terms of the second part of your question, I think it remains to be seen. Partly, I think, things will depend on our assessment next spring and early summer of how we’re doing. I think that will have the biggest impact on the President’s decisions in terms of the pacing. We’ve talked all along about beginning of the withdrawals in July being conditions-based in terms of the numbers and I think that continues to be the position. It will be based more on that than on, I think, domestic politics.
Q: Mr. Secretary, on Yemen – there’s been a lot of increased attention on Yemen since we discovered these package bombs. What more can the military do that it isn’t already doing in Yemen? What kind of plans does the Pentagon have to increase the pressure on – (inaudible)?
SECRETARY GATES: Well, I mean, this is truly a whole of government effort. And I think that we have to do this in partnership with the Yemeni government. I think in terms of training and so on, there are more things that we could do to help the Yemenis and strengthen their capabilities. And I think it’s fair to say we’re exploring with them a variety of possibilities along those lines.
Q: Can you elaborate at all on what the possibilities are?
SECRETARY GATES: Well, it’s primarily – I think the primary focus will be on training.
Staff: Somebody else?
Q: May I dovetail on the congressional question? Can you see some issues here where – some of the issues that you’ve been advancing, these efficiency initiatives, there’s concern that maybe there are going to be more hawkish people that aren’t going to stand for any reductions in some areas – closure of Joint Forces Command, that kind of thing. Do you see some issues possibly arising with (inaudible) Congress?
SECRETARY GATES: First of all, those who have an intense interest in America’s military strength should welcome these efficiencies because at a time of economic stringency it’s going to make the resources available to invest in military – in more military capability. We’re not cutting the defense budget. We’re trying to – by making the overhead part of the Defense Department leaner and smarter, hoping to be able to add planes, add ships – real military capability.
So I think that we’ll be able to show both those who are intensely interested in – on the one hand, we’ll be able to show those intensely interested in strong national defense that we are, in fact, enhancing our defense, military capabilities. And at the same time be able to show the budget hawks that we are moving aggressively to remove waste and fat from the Defense Department and focus on what’s really important, which is military capability. And that will be basically my approach.
And we have a pretty ambitious agenda and I think it really reflects the – this is a very old alliance, but we keep expanding the nature of the cooperation. For example, there will be a focus on some new subjects this time, like cyber. We’ll talk further about missile defense, about surveillance, space surveillance and so on. So, you know, in addition to the areas of cooperation that we’ve had for a long time, we’re adding these.
As you know, we’re working on a Global Posture Review, and we’re looking at ways to strengthen and perhaps make more robust our presence in Asia. We’re looking at a number of different options.
One of those includes talking with the Australians about whether there’s some areas where we can work together in a mutually beneficial way, do some additional things here in – or in Australia. And so we’ll be having some conversations about that. I don’t think – I think it’s fair to say we’re not looking at – as part of the posture review, we’re not looking at adding any bases or anything – any new bases in Asia, but really how do we enhance the relationships that we already have.
Q: So on that note, is this enhancing the U.S. presence aimed at China in some way and do you run the risk of somehow antagonizing [inaudible]?
SECRETARY GATES: No, this isn’t about China at all. This is really about – you know, we’ve enhanced our naval cooperation with a number of these countries in recent years as part of the counterterrorism effort, part of the effort to deal with piracy in the Malacca Straits and now in the Indian Ocean. We’ve done a lot with these countries in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and that’s clearly an area.
I mean, that’s – those are a couple of areas where we actually have a common interest with the Chinese in working together. That’s one of the agenda items that Gen. Shuand I talked about as long ago as October 2009. And so this is really more about continuing U.S. presence and building these relationships, and it’s more about our relationships with the rest of Asia than it is about China.
You know, we’ve really enhanced our engagement over the last 18 months or so. With Secretary Clinton’s participation in the Asia regional forum and with her participation in the East Asian Summit, my participation in the 8th ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] Defense Ministers Plus meet, and so we’ve been doing a lot in Asia that is really about building our relationships with a lot of different countries.
Q: Mr. Secretary, I want to ask you about the election outcomes. Do you think that the –
SECRETARY GATES: Ours?
Q: (Laughs.) Yes, exactly, ours, [inaudible] one in Australia, too, but – yeah, U.S. election outcome. In the short run, do you see any prospect for passage of START [Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty] and repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in the lame duck? And then going forward into the spring, do you think the election outcome makes it more or less likely that President Obama will decide to pull a significant number of forces from Afghanistan in the summer?
SECRETARY GATES: Well, first of all, I hope that the Congress will – that the Senate will ratify a new START. I think it’s in our interest. Both the chairman and I have testified why we think it’s in our security interest to ratify the treaty.
I would like to see the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” but I’m not sure what the prospects for that are and we’ll just have to see.
In terms of the second part of your question, I think it remains to be seen. Partly, I think, things will depend on our assessment next spring and early summer of how we’re doing. I think that will have the biggest impact on the President’s decisions in terms of the pacing. We’ve talked all along about beginning of the withdrawals in July being conditions-based in terms of the numbers and I think that continues to be the position. It will be based more on that than on, I think, domestic politics.
Q: Mr. Secretary, on Yemen – there’s been a lot of increased attention on Yemen since we discovered these package bombs. What more can the military do that it isn’t already doing in Yemen? What kind of plans does the Pentagon have to increase the pressure on – (inaudible)?
SECRETARY GATES: Well, I mean, this is truly a whole of government effort. And I think that we have to do this in partnership with the Yemeni government. I think in terms of training and so on, there are more things that we could do to help the Yemenis and strengthen their capabilities. And I think it’s fair to say we’re exploring with them a variety of possibilities along those lines.
Q: Can you elaborate at all on what the possibilities are?
SECRETARY GATES: Well, it’s primarily – I think the primary focus will be on training.
Staff: Somebody else?
Q: May I dovetail on the congressional question? Can you see some issues here where – some of the issues that you’ve been advancing, these efficiency initiatives, there’s concern that maybe there are going to be more hawkish people that aren’t going to stand for any reductions in some areas – closure of Joint Forces Command, that kind of thing. Do you see some issues possibly arising with (inaudible) Congress?
SECRETARY GATES: First of all, those who have an intense interest in America’s military strength should welcome these efficiencies because at a time of economic stringency it’s going to make the resources available to invest in military – in more military capability. We’re not cutting the defense budget. We’re trying to – by making the overhead part of the Defense Department leaner and smarter, hoping to be able to add planes, add ships – real military capability.
So I think that we’ll be able to show both those who are intensely interested in – on the one hand, we’ll be able to show those intensely interested in strong national defense that we are, in fact, enhancing our defense, military capabilities. And at the same time be able to show the budget hawks that we are moving aggressively to remove waste and fat from the Defense Department and focus on what’s really important, which is military capability. And that will be basically my approach.
United States Department of Defense would like you to know....
Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn has no public or media events on his schedule.
Motion Center could not confirm, nor deny that Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn hs gone fishing, or if the Deputy Secretary of Defense fishes or has a fishing license. Smile, your a public figure and thi is parody. (I am... so, going to get audited.)
Motion Center could not confirm, nor deny that Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn hs gone fishing, or if the Deputy Secretary of Defense fishes or has a fishing license. Smile, your a public figure and thi is parody. (I am... so, going to get audited.)
DOD Identifies Army Casualty
DOD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Spc. James C. Young, 25, of Rochester, Ill., died Nov. 3 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 863rd Engineer Battalion, Darien, Ill.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Spc. James C. Young, 25, of Rochester, Ill., died Nov. 3 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 863rd Engineer Battalion, Darien, Ill.
U.S. Must Stand Vigilant in Face of New Threats, Flournoy Says
By Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2010 - Extremist networks are melding together, unsafe technologies are rapidly increasing, and the United States must stand vigilant in the face of these threats, the undersecretary of defense for policy said here yesterday.
U.S. troops are fighting in Afghanistan today because the region has been a breeding ground of "plausible" threats of massive harm to Americans, Michèle Flournoy told the World Affairs Council.
The most vicious and elaborate attacks of terrorism in the past decade have originated in Afghanistan, "and it's on the Pakistani side of the border that Afghanistan's senior leadership continues to evade justice and plot future attacks," Flournoy said.
Terrorists can easily access technologies of mass destruction, and they have the will to use them, she added. The recent cargo plane bomb effort by terrorists in Yemen is one example of how such attacks can be unpredictable, she said.
Free nations in the world cannot allow terrorist groups to perpetuate, Flournoy told the council.
"From the threat of [improvised explosive devices] in Afghanistan and Iraq, to the proliferation of long-range ballistic missiles, it is clear that a wide range of current and future adversaries ... will be able to employ technologies that can undermine the conventional advantages of U.S. forces," Flournoy said.
The spread of highly sophisticated technology in a multipolar world -- defined as "a world of dynamic shifts in power and influence" -- has created a global trend that is reshaping the face of U.S. security, Flournoy said. She compared the post-World War I era, when the United States isolated itself from other countries, to the world after World War II, when the nation partnered with other countries to build strong alliances such as NATO.
The United States also made commitments to Europe and Asia for economic and social development, which resulted in a global order that served the world well for decades, the undersecretary said.
With President Barack Obama en route to India next week, Flournoy noted how that country is an example of a new world power amid global change.
"The United States is deeply invested in enhancing a partnership with India for economic trade and investment to defense cooperation," she said.
Combating piracy off the coast of Somalia is a United States and Indian effort, she said. The two countries forged diplomatic and security ties following terrorist attacks on both nations. In 10 years, bilateral trade has tripled, and both countries have a landmark agreement on civil nuclear cooperation, she said.
China is another country with which the United States wants to further its relationship.
"We are seeking in the Defense Department a greater commitment from China to a more consistent and transparent military-to-military relationship," Flournoy said. "This is vital to maintaining stability and preventing needless misunderstanding."
From a security standpoint, the United States welcomes strong regional forces that share a commitment to democracy, pluralism and economic development, Flournoy said, citing Indonesia. It is the fourth-most populated nation and home to the largest Muslim community in the world.
"[Indonesia] is a strong and valued partner of the United States and Southeast Asia," Flournoy said. The United States and Indonesia recently signed a defense agreement to cooperate in maritime security, peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
"The high seas, international airspace, outer space and cyberspace are the connective tissue of our global economy," the undersecretary said. "The global community makes commerce and the spread of technology possible; conversely, the spread of technology makes the global commons ever more vital to our strategic position and our national prosperity."
These commons are increasingly contested and need defending against threats such as pirates in the world's sea lanes, viruses and hackers in computer networks, and harmful space debris and potential antisatellite weapons in space, Flournoy said.
Such global trends force the United States to reconsider how to define national security and even how to define war. Hybrid war also is of concern to the military, in which more than one approach is used in warfare.
Flournoy said a hybrid war could involve an enemy that uses a wide range of means simultaneously, such as conventional forces or guerilla tactics. "It might sponsor an act of terrorism of weapons of mass destruction, disrupt its rival's economy through financial manipulation, hack into an opponent's information networks, wage a global information campaign, or do several of these things all at once," she said.
Flournoy told the council that members of the public are more resilient to enemy threats when armed with knowledge.
"Your work has never been more important," she told the audience. "This kind of forward thinking is how we successfully protected America in the aftermath of World War II. And this is the basic prescription for safety and security in this very different world we face."
Biographies:
Michèle Flournoy
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2010 - Extremist networks are melding together, unsafe technologies are rapidly increasing, and the United States must stand vigilant in the face of these threats, the undersecretary of defense for policy said here yesterday.
U.S. troops are fighting in Afghanistan today because the region has been a breeding ground of "plausible" threats of massive harm to Americans, Michèle Flournoy told the World Affairs Council.
The most vicious and elaborate attacks of terrorism in the past decade have originated in Afghanistan, "and it's on the Pakistani side of the border that Afghanistan's senior leadership continues to evade justice and plot future attacks," Flournoy said.
Terrorists can easily access technologies of mass destruction, and they have the will to use them, she added. The recent cargo plane bomb effort by terrorists in Yemen is one example of how such attacks can be unpredictable, she said.
Free nations in the world cannot allow terrorist groups to perpetuate, Flournoy told the council.
"From the threat of [improvised explosive devices] in Afghanistan and Iraq, to the proliferation of long-range ballistic missiles, it is clear that a wide range of current and future adversaries ... will be able to employ technologies that can undermine the conventional advantages of U.S. forces," Flournoy said.
The spread of highly sophisticated technology in a multipolar world -- defined as "a world of dynamic shifts in power and influence" -- has created a global trend that is reshaping the face of U.S. security, Flournoy said. She compared the post-World War I era, when the United States isolated itself from other countries, to the world after World War II, when the nation partnered with other countries to build strong alliances such as NATO.
The United States also made commitments to Europe and Asia for economic and social development, which resulted in a global order that served the world well for decades, the undersecretary said.
With President Barack Obama en route to India next week, Flournoy noted how that country is an example of a new world power amid global change.
"The United States is deeply invested in enhancing a partnership with India for economic trade and investment to defense cooperation," she said.
Combating piracy off the coast of Somalia is a United States and Indian effort, she said. The two countries forged diplomatic and security ties following terrorist attacks on both nations. In 10 years, bilateral trade has tripled, and both countries have a landmark agreement on civil nuclear cooperation, she said.
China is another country with which the United States wants to further its relationship.
"We are seeking in the Defense Department a greater commitment from China to a more consistent and transparent military-to-military relationship," Flournoy said. "This is vital to maintaining stability and preventing needless misunderstanding."
From a security standpoint, the United States welcomes strong regional forces that share a commitment to democracy, pluralism and economic development, Flournoy said, citing Indonesia. It is the fourth-most populated nation and home to the largest Muslim community in the world.
"[Indonesia] is a strong and valued partner of the United States and Southeast Asia," Flournoy said. The United States and Indonesia recently signed a defense agreement to cooperate in maritime security, peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
"The high seas, international airspace, outer space and cyberspace are the connective tissue of our global economy," the undersecretary said. "The global community makes commerce and the spread of technology possible; conversely, the spread of technology makes the global commons ever more vital to our strategic position and our national prosperity."
These commons are increasingly contested and need defending against threats such as pirates in the world's sea lanes, viruses and hackers in computer networks, and harmful space debris and potential antisatellite weapons in space, Flournoy said.
Such global trends force the United States to reconsider how to define national security and even how to define war. Hybrid war also is of concern to the military, in which more than one approach is used in warfare.
Flournoy said a hybrid war could involve an enemy that uses a wide range of means simultaneously, such as conventional forces or guerilla tactics. "It might sponsor an act of terrorism of weapons of mass destruction, disrupt its rival's economy through financial manipulation, hack into an opponent's information networks, wage a global information campaign, or do several of these things all at once," she said.
Flournoy told the council that members of the public are more resilient to enemy threats when armed with knowledge.
"Your work has never been more important," she told the audience. "This kind of forward thinking is how we successfully protected America in the aftermath of World War II. And this is the basic prescription for safety and security in this very different world we face."
Biographies:
Michèle Flournoy
Coast Guard conducts medevac while responding to Hurricane Tomas
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Written by: LT Connie Braesch
Click on the image to watch a video of the Coast Guard medically evacuating an ill man from a container ship approximately 200 miles northeast of Nassau Bahamas, Nov. 5, 2010. U.S. Coast Guard Video by Petty Officer 3rd Class Tara Molle.
As Coast Guardsmen gear up and head towards Haiti to provide assistance in the wake of Hurricane Tomas, a forward staged MH-60 Jayhawk Helicopter crew responded to a call for help from a container ship about 200 miles northeast of Nassau Bahamas. A crewmember was suffering from internal bleeding and required medical care.
ANDROS ISLAND, Bahamas - An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Fla., transfers a 25-year old Chinese national to EMS in Nassau Bahamas. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Tara Molle
The crew launched from Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) on Andros Island, Bahamas, to hoisted the man off the ship as then Hurricane Tomas churned up the seas.
“We were able to safely hoist the ill man despite heightened sea and wind conditions, and obstacles aboard the vessel,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Jon Geskus, the crew’s rescue swimmer. “Our lift elevation had to be approximately 90 feet because of cranes aboard the vessel, which when combined with the 30-knot winds and 10 to 15-foot seas, made for a challenging rescue.”
Geskus and the Jayhawk helicopter crew are based at Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, in Clearwater, Fla.
CGC Forward is currently on scene in Haiti conducting port assessments and CGC Confidence departs today to provide assistance. The Coast Guard, and other U.S. forces, responded following the storm to support Haiti as the island continues to deal with the devastation from January’s earthquake.
Written by: LT Connie Braesch
Click on the image to watch a video of the Coast Guard medically evacuating an ill man from a container ship approximately 200 miles northeast of Nassau Bahamas, Nov. 5, 2010. U.S. Coast Guard Video by Petty Officer 3rd Class Tara Molle.
As Coast Guardsmen gear up and head towards Haiti to provide assistance in the wake of Hurricane Tomas, a forward staged MH-60 Jayhawk Helicopter crew responded to a call for help from a container ship about 200 miles northeast of Nassau Bahamas. A crewmember was suffering from internal bleeding and required medical care.
ANDROS ISLAND, Bahamas - An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Fla., transfers a 25-year old Chinese national to EMS in Nassau Bahamas. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Tara Molle
The crew launched from Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) on Andros Island, Bahamas, to hoisted the man off the ship as then Hurricane Tomas churned up the seas.
“We were able to safely hoist the ill man despite heightened sea and wind conditions, and obstacles aboard the vessel,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Jon Geskus, the crew’s rescue swimmer. “Our lift elevation had to be approximately 90 feet because of cranes aboard the vessel, which when combined with the 30-knot winds and 10 to 15-foot seas, made for a challenging rescue.”
Geskus and the Jayhawk helicopter crew are based at Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, in Clearwater, Fla.
CGC Forward is currently on scene in Haiti conducting port assessments and CGC Confidence departs today to provide assistance. The Coast Guard, and other U.S. forces, responded following the storm to support Haiti as the island continues to deal with the devastation from January’s earthquake.
CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS (CNO) STRATEGIC
R 131950Z AUG 10
SUBJ: ALCGPSC 075/10 - CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS (CNO) STRATEGIC
STUDIES GROUP (SSG) SELECTION PANEL FINAL RESULTS
A. ALCOAST 198/10, POLICY GOVERNING MILITARY SELECTION FOR 2010-2011
SSS AND CNO SSG
1. THE FOLLOWING OFFICER HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR ASSIGNMENT TO THE
CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS (CNO) STRATEGIC STUDIES GROUP (SSG)
DURING THE 2011-2012 ACADEMIC YEAR. ALTERNATE SELECTEES ARE LISTED
IN ORDER OF SELECTION. ACTUAL MILITARY ASSIGNMENT WILL BE MADE BY
THE CAPTAIN ASSIGNMENT PANEL IN JAN 2011. THE PRIMARY NOMINEE
SHOULD INITIATE ACTION TO OBTAIN REQUIRED SECURITY CLEARANCES IN
ANTICIPATION OF ATTENDING.
NAME EMPLID
PRI: CAPT MICHAEL D. EMERSON 1066540
ALT: CAPT MELISSA BERT 1071433
ALT: CAPT STEVE C. TRUHLAR 1083866
2. IAW REF A, THIS YEAR'S SELECTION PANEL CONSIDERED 12 CAPTAINS OR
CAPTAINS(SELECT) WITH A DATE OF RANK OF 01JUL06 OR JUNIOR.
3. THE PANEL MEMBERS AND THEIR UNITS ARE LISTED BELOW:
NAME
RADM ROY. A NASH NMIC
CAPT RICHARD. K. MURPHY CG YARD
CAPT TODD A. SOKALZUK COMDT (CG-82)
CAPT WILLIAM J. MILNE TRACEN YORKTOWN
CAPT ANDREW J. TIONGSON COMDT (CG-09)
4. ALTHOUGH THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE PANEL, INCLUDING ITS
DELIBERATIONS AND CRITERIA FOR SELECTION, CANNOT BE
DISCLOSED TO ANY PERSON WHO WAS NOT A MEMBER OF THE PANEL,
PANEL MEMBERS DO HAVE VALUABLE INFORMATION THAT CAN BE
SHARED REGARDING THE GENERAL SELECTION PROCESS AND ITS
FAIRNESS AND EQUITY. QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS PANEL, OFFICER
STATUS, OR ASSIGNMENTS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO CAPTAIN STEVE REYNOLDS
(CGPSC-OPM) AT (202)493-1601 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202)493-1601 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
5. THE PRECEPT THAT CONVENED THIS PANEL AND CHARGED THE MEMBERS
WITH THEIR DUTIES IS AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW ON CG PORTAL (PSC-OPM-2:
SUPPORT/SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT NOTES).
6. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.
SUBJ: ALCGPSC 075/10 - CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS (CNO) STRATEGIC
STUDIES GROUP (SSG) SELECTION PANEL FINAL RESULTS
A. ALCOAST 198/10, POLICY GOVERNING MILITARY SELECTION FOR 2010-2011
SSS AND CNO SSG
1. THE FOLLOWING OFFICER HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR ASSIGNMENT TO THE
CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS (CNO) STRATEGIC STUDIES GROUP (SSG)
DURING THE 2011-2012 ACADEMIC YEAR. ALTERNATE SELECTEES ARE LISTED
IN ORDER OF SELECTION. ACTUAL MILITARY ASSIGNMENT WILL BE MADE BY
THE CAPTAIN ASSIGNMENT PANEL IN JAN 2011. THE PRIMARY NOMINEE
SHOULD INITIATE ACTION TO OBTAIN REQUIRED SECURITY CLEARANCES IN
ANTICIPATION OF ATTENDING.
NAME EMPLID
PRI: CAPT MICHAEL D. EMERSON 1066540
ALT: CAPT MELISSA BERT 1071433
ALT: CAPT STEVE C. TRUHLAR 1083866
2. IAW REF A, THIS YEAR'S SELECTION PANEL CONSIDERED 12 CAPTAINS OR
CAPTAINS(SELECT) WITH A DATE OF RANK OF 01JUL06 OR JUNIOR.
3. THE PANEL MEMBERS AND THEIR UNITS ARE LISTED BELOW:
NAME
RADM ROY. A NASH NMIC
CAPT RICHARD. K. MURPHY CG YARD
CAPT TODD A. SOKALZUK COMDT (CG-82)
CAPT WILLIAM J. MILNE TRACEN YORKTOWN
CAPT ANDREW J. TIONGSON COMDT (CG-09)
4. ALTHOUGH THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE PANEL, INCLUDING ITS
DELIBERATIONS AND CRITERIA FOR SELECTION, CANNOT BE
DISCLOSED TO ANY PERSON WHO WAS NOT A MEMBER OF THE PANEL,
PANEL MEMBERS DO HAVE VALUABLE INFORMATION THAT CAN BE
SHARED REGARDING THE GENERAL SELECTION PROCESS AND ITS
FAIRNESS AND EQUITY. QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS PANEL, OFFICER
STATUS, OR ASSIGNMENTS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO CAPTAIN STEVE REYNOLDS
(CGPSC-OPM) AT (202)493-1601 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202)493-1601 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
5. THE PRECEPT THAT CONVENED THIS PANEL AND CHARGED THE MEMBERS
WITH THEIR DUTIES IS AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW ON CG PORTAL (PSC-OPM-2:
SUPPORT/SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT NOTES).
6. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.
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