Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley asks, ‘Where are the black generals?’

Milley cited the experience of Air Force chief of staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr., who is the first black person to head a military service. “CQ Brown, when he was commissioned as a second lieutenant … There were only 2% of pilots in the United States Air Force that were African American. Today, there’s still only 2% of pilots in the United States Air Force that are African American,” Milley said. “One of the key strengths of the American military is our diversity and fighting for a common cause. And we must get better.”

“Our nation is ready to fulfill the promise of our constitution to build a more perfect union and to ensure equal justice for all people,” Milley told the graduates. “And it is your generation that can and will bring the Joint Force to be truly inclusive of all people.”

CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF CALLS FOR A ‘TRULY INCLUSIVE,’ MORE DIVERSE MILITARY

‘THIS IS A READINESS ISSUE’: At the Pentagon, spokesman John Kirby said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the first black person to lead the department and a retired four-star general himself, is in total agreement with Milley.

“He strongly believes that diversity is a readiness issue because it allows different perspectives, additional context, different lived experiences to inform the way we make decisions and the policies that we craft, the operations that we lead,” Kirby said. “It is important for the force to look like the country it serves.”

“He knows it’s not going to change overnight,” he said. “The secretary believes this has got to be a concerted effort, an everyday effort. It’s got to be led. If leaders across the department don’t take this on as a personal commitment, it’s not going to change.”

DOD’S NEW DIVERSITY CHIEF: One of Austin’s first moves upon assuming office was to create a new position that reports directly to him, to examine what needs to be done to improve diversity, inclusion, and opportunity inside the force.

“We’ve hired Bishop Garrison to be our director for diversity and inclusion and equity,” said Kirby, who he says has been given Bishop “a wide berth to take a look at these kinds of issues across the force.”

“This is not just senior enlisted levels, but senior officer levels, admirals and generals,” Kirby said. “The numbers are not very high.”

Good Thursday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Victor I. Nava. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow us on Twitter: @dailyondefense.

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HAPPENING TODAY: Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Kyiv, meeting today with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, along with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba.

Blinken will “underscore unwavering U.S. support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression,” according to a statement from the State Department.

In an interview with CNN ahead of Blinken’s arrival, Kuleba said he would be discussing a “list” of U.S. military support with Blinken, including a request for air defense systems and anti-sniper technology.

“I want to make it clear that it’s not only about receiving it from the United States, but also about buying it from the United States,” Kuleba told CNN, adding that he wants Ukraine to be treated by the U.S. as the “eastern border of democracy” in the central Europe and Black Sea region, and be integrated into the West — including NATO.

MORE FIREPOWER TO COVER US AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL: Two more U.S. Air Force B-52 bombers have been deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, bringing to six the number of B-52s on standby to respond if the Taliban attacks U.S. or coalition forces as they continue withdrawing from Afghanistan.

The B-52H Stratofortress aircraft are all from the 5th Bomb Wing, Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. “U.S. Central Command is committed to providing the necessary force protection to ensure the drawdown is conducted in a safe manner,” U.S. Air Forces Central said in a statement.

“We have made it exceedingly clear that protecting our forces and the forces of our allies and partners as they too withdraw is a priority, is a main priority,” said Pentagon spokesman John Kirby yesterday. “The B-52 bombers are part of that force. We’ve also extended the USS Eisenhower into the region, extended their stay there in the Central Command area of responsibility, and we have made plans to introduce additional ground force capabilities to, again, make sure that this is safe and orderly.”

FAILURE TO LAUNCH: A routine operational test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile was aborted yesterday morning when a computer stopped the launch sequence after detecting a problem.

The planned launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, was one of the regular tests the Air Force Global Strike Command conducts to “validate and verify the effectiveness, readiness and accuracy of the weapon system,” according to a statement.

The test failure comes as U.S. Strategic Commander Adm. Chas Richard told Congress last month that it is no longer “cost effective” to extend the life of the arsenal of Cold War-era Minuteman III ICBMs.

“From my own personal observation, with deference to the U.S. Air Force, I’m not sure it can be life extended at all,” Richard testified April 21 before a House Armed Services Subcommittee. “The command and control system for that dates back to the ’70s. When it started, the word cyber hadn’t even been defined.”

Richard said if he was asked how he’s maintaining “a command and control system that was designed before the internet,” his answer would be. “I’m not sure that that’s possible.”

WHERE WILL IT FALL? The Pentagon says the U.S. Space Command is “actively tracking” a large Chinese rocket booster that is tumbling uncontrolled through space and is expected to crash to Earth Saturday, who knows where.

“Space Command is tracking — literally tracking — this rocket debris. It’s almost the body of the rocket, as I understand it, almost intact, coming down, and we think Space Command believes somewhere around the 8th of May,” said spokesman John Kirby at yesterday’s Pentagon briefing.

“It’s too soon to know exactly where it’s going to come down … it’s also too soon to explore options about what if anything could be done about this,” Kirby said.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Space Command tells the Washington Examiner that currently, there are no plans to try to shoot down the 46,000-pound rocket which China used to put the first module of its space station into orbit.

“There are too many factors to take into account this early, such as the atmospheric conditions and the exact angle of the object as it enters the atmosphere,” the spokesperson said.

DOD SAYS IT WON’T SHOOT DOWN FALLING CHINESE SPACE ROCKET

NEW PACFLEET COMMANDER: Adm. Samuel Paparo assumed command of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, replacing Adm. John Aquilino, who was promoted to commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command last week.

Like Aquilino, Paparo was the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. Fifth Fleet, and Combined Maritime Forces in Bahrain before assuming command of PacFleet in Hawaii.

Paparo is a graduate of the Navy Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun) and has flown the F-14 Tomcat, F-15 Eagle, and F-A-18 Hornet, among other aircraft.

INDUSTRY WATCH: The U.S. Air Force has awarded the first airworthiness approval for a manned electric “flying car” to BETA Technologies, a partner in the AFWERX Agility Prime program.

This enables BETA to begin flying its ALIA aircraft in the Agility Prime program.

“U.S. Air Force engineers spent more than a year examining BETA’s ALIA aircraft, evaluating its design and flight capabilities against the demanding MIL-HDBK-516C standard,” said Camron Guthrie from BETA.

“Under a new contract to be signed in June, the Air Force will have access to the first of its kind, manned 7,000-pound class electric aircraft, and first of their kind immersive electric vertical takeoff and landing simulators located in Washington, D.C. and Springfield, Ohio,” the Air Force said in a statement.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The Rundown

Washington Post: Lloyd Austin: Opinion: The Pentagon must prepare for a much bigger theater of war

Washington Examiner: DOD says it won’t shoot down falling Chinese space rocket

Washington Examiner: White House mum on whether it will punish China if plummeting rocket causes damage

Washington Examiner: White House: US-China war over Taiwan ‘would broaden quickly’

Washington Examiner: China on campus: How the DOJ has battled ‘nontraditional espionage’

Washington Examiner: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff calls for a ‘truly inclusive,’ more diverse military

Washington Examiner: Military response to UFOs subject of latest Pentagon inspector general investigation

Breaking Defense: House Appropriators Fear Army Cuts, Continuing Resolution

Defense One: A Lot of Risk’ in Army’s Proposed 2022 Budget, Service Leaders Say

Washington Post: The Pentagon wants to take a harder line on domestic extremism. How far can it go?

USNI News: Royal Navy Head: U.K. Committed to Operate More in Indo-Pacific with U.S., Allies

Agence France Presse: Washington Weighs Risk Of Defending Taiwan Against China

Washington Times: Palau Invites U.S. Military To Build On Remote Islands

AP: General: China’s Africa Outreach Poses Threat From Atlantic

Wall Street Journal: Russian Forces Near Ukraine Are Still A Threat, U.S. Says

New York Times: Withdrawal Leaves 80,000 Russian Troops at a Tense Border

Air Force Magazine: Skyborg Makes First Flight Aboard Kratos Mako

Space News: Space Force to Clear Refurbished Falcon 9 Booster for Upcoming GPS Launch

Defense Daily: Navy Completes Ford Carrier Post-Delivery Trials, Touts Success And Outlines Next Steps

Military.com: British Aircraft Carrier Departs On Landmark Deployment With Marine Corps F-35s Aboard

Defense One: Some US Military Bases Begin to Loosen Mask Rules

Politico: Austin rolls back Trump-era policy on special ops

Los Angeles Times: Turmoil Atop the California National Guard

Washington Post: D.C. police officer who fought Capitol rioters pens letter to officials: ‘The time to fully recognize these Officers actions is NOW!’

Military Times: As Space Dwindles, Final Rules On Burial Eligibility For Arlington Cemetery Expected This Fall

Air Force Magazine: Former SECAF Donley Returns to Pentagon as the ‘Mayor’

Calendar

THURSDAY | MAY 6

9 a.m. — East-West Center in Washington webinar: “Reducing the Burden of Military Bases in Okinawa: Implications of the New Security Environment,” with Paul Vosti, director for Japan policy in the Defense Department’s Office of the Undersecretary of Defense Policy; Okinawa Prefecture Gov. Yasuhiro “Denny” Tamaki (via video); Kyoji Yanagisawa, chair of the Bankoku Shinryo Council on U.S. Military Base Issues; Fumiaki Nozoe, vice chair of the Bankoku Shinryo Council on U.S. Military Base Issues; Yoshihide Soeya, professor at Keio University; Akiko Yamamoto, associate professor at the University of the Ryukyus; Mike Mochizuki, Japan-U.S. relations chair at George Washington University; and Satu Limaye, vice president of the East-West Center. https://eastwestcenter.zoom.us/webinar/register

9:30 a.m. EDT NATO Headquarters, Brussels — Lt. Gen. Brice Houdet, SHAPE vice chief of staff, will deliver a virtual media briefing on exercise “Steadfast Defender 2021.” https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-media-briefing

11 a.m. — Association of the U.S. Army “Thought Leaders” webinar, with British Army Deputy Chief Lt. Gen. Christopher Tickell, who will discuss the implications of the U.K. Integrated Security and Defence Review for the British army as it transforms into a modern, expeditionary force. https://info.ausa.org

11:35 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies Project on Nuclear Issues virtual Capstone Conference panel discussion: “Deep Dive into Hypersonic Missiles and Artificial Intelligence,” with James Johnson, assistant professor, School of Law and Government, Dublin City University and non-resident fellow, Modern War Institute, West Point; Aaron Kennedy, graduate systems engineer, Lockheed Martin; Julia Balm, Ph.D. candidate, King’s College London; Shahrukh Nasim, project manager, Department of Energy;  and Raymond Wang, Ph.D. student, Massachusetts Institute of Technology  https://www.csis.org/events/poni-capstone-conference

12 p.m. — Government Executive Media Group “Genius Machines” forum on “How Humans and AI Are Working Together,” with Philip Root, deputy director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Defense Sciences Office. https://events.nextgov.com/genius-machines

1 p.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual fireside chat on the “Army People Strategy,” with Gen. Paul Funk, commanding general, Army Training and Doctrine Command. https://www.cnas.org/events/special-event

1:30 p.m. — U.S. Navy Memorial virtual discussion with Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday. https://www.navymemorial.org/new-events

3 p.m. — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness hearing: “Ship and Submarine Maintenance: Sustainment Considerations for a Changing Fleet,” with Vice Adm. William Galinis, commander Naval Sea Systems Command; Rear Adm. Eric Ver Hage, director, surface ship maintenance and modernization, Naval Sea Systems Command; and Rear Adm. Howard Markle, deputy commander, logistics, maintenance, and industrial operations, Naval Sea Systems Command. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings

FRIDAY | MAY 7

9:30 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies webinar: “Reordering Priorities: Republic of Korea-U.S. Alliance in the Indo-Pacific Century,” with former South Korean Minister and Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn; Ji Seong-ho, member of the South Korean National Assembly; former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert, Korea chair at CSIS; and Victor Cha, senior vice president of CSIS. https://www.csis.org/events/reordering-priorities-rok-us

11:30 a.m. — Brookings Institution webinar: “The Future of Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Modernization,” with Adm. Charles Richard, commander of U.S. Strategic Command https://www.brookings.edu/events/the-future-of-strategic-deterrence

12 p.m. — House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing: “Fiscal Year 2022 United States Air Force and Space Force Budget,” with Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr., chief of staff of the Air Force; Gen. John Raymond, chief of operations, U.S. Space Force; and John Roth, acting secretary of the Air Force. https://appropriations.house.gov/events/hearings

1 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies webinar: “Project Overmatch,” the Navy’s Joint All Domain Command and Control implementation program, with Rear Adm. Douglas Small, commander of Naval Information Warfare Systems Command. https://www.csis.org/events/project-overmatch

3:30 p.m. — Woodrow Wilson Center Polar Institute webinar: “Understanding the New Dimensions of Trans-Atlantic Arctic Security,” with Capt. J.F. French, deputy commander of Joint Task Force North; Col. Petteri Seppala, defense attache at the Embassy of Finland; Col. David Hanson, commander of the 821st Air Base Group; retired Maj. Gen. Mats Engman, military fellow at the Institute for Security and Development Policy; and retired Rear Adm. Lars Saunes, professor at the U.S. Naval War College https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/arctic-security-dialogues

WEDNESDAY | MAY 12

11 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Committee hearing: “An Update on Afghanistan, with David Helvey, acting assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific Affairs; and Brig. Gen. Matthew Trollinger, deputy director for politico-military affairs, Joint Staff, J-5. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings

11 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual Space Power Forum with Lt. Gen. J.T. Thompson, commander of the U.S. Space Force Space and Missile Systems Center; and retired Lt. Gen. David Deptula, dean of the Mitchell Institute. Video posted afterward at https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org/

THURSDAY | MAY 13

9:15 a.m. — American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research web event “The Joint Expeditionary Force: A European asset,” with Elisabeth Braw, resident fellow, AEI; Nick Carter, chief of the defence staff, UK Ministry of Defence; James Heappey, minister for the armed forces, U.K. Ministry of Defence; Peter Hultqvist, Swedish Defense Minister; Artis Pabriks,, Latvian Defense Minister; and Rep. Mike Turner, ranking member, House Armed Services Committee, Subcommittee on Strategic Forces. https://www.aei.org/events/the-joint-expeditionary-force

5 p.m. — Institute for Corean-American Studies Spring Symposium Special: “Humanity, Liberty, Peace and Security, The Korean Peninsula Issues and US National Security,” with Former undersecretary of defense for policy Michele Flournoy, co-founder and managing partner, WestExec Advisors. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/icas-spring-symposium

FRIDAY | MAY 14

11 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems hearing: “Operations in Cyberspace and building Cyber Capabilities Across the Department of Defense,” with Mieke Eoyang, deputy assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy; and Army Gen. Paul Nakasone, commander, U.S. Cyber Command, director, National Security Agency. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings