WORLD ‘RATTLED’ BY TRUMP: President Obama, speaking at the Group of Seven summit in Japan, said world leaders are “rattled” by Donald Trump’s candidacy, adding “and for good reason.” Susan Crabtree reports this morning that Obama portrayed the presumptive GOP nominee as a loose cannon on the world stage who would upend U.S. foreign policy and global alliances. The world, Obama said, is paying close attention to the U.S. election because the United States is the “head of the international order,” and that many leaders are unsure how seriously to take Trump’s pronouncements, because many of his proposals display either “ignorance of world affairs or a cavalier attitude” aimed at self-promotion rather than good policy.
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AIR WAR UPDATE: The three-star general in charge of the air war against the Islamic State provides an update this morning in a Pentagon briefing via skype. Air Force Lt. Gen. Charles Brown is the commander of U.S. Air Forces Central Command, based in Qatar. The New York Times interviewed the general ahead of his 10 a.m. briefing and reports he’ll make the case that the coalition bombing campaign is far more effective now that some systemic problems have been corrected, including poor intelligence, and cumbersome approval procedures. “Every bomb now has a greater impact,” Brown tells the Times.
Meanwhile in cyberspace, some senators are pressing the Obama administration to do a lot more to be ready to respond to any future cyber attack from countries such as Iran or Russia. Rudy Takala reports that Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin wants the U.S. to implement a cybersecurity standard in line with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which affirms the right of states to respond to physical attacks. And some senators want to elevate U.S. Cyber Command to a unified combatant command, which Defense News says would make it one the most powerful institutions in the Pentagon.
AND NOW WE WAIT: The Senate on Wednesday voted procedurally to move forward with the fiscal 2017 defense policy bill, but Minority Leader Harry Reid objected an agreement to officially bring the bill up for consideration before the 30 hours required by Senate rules has run out, saying that lawmakers need time to read the 1,600-plus page bill and scrutinize senators’ pet projects.
Reid’s maneuvers prompted a Senate floor smackdown by Sen. Tom Cotton, who referred to the minority leader’s “bitter, vulgar, incoherent ramblings.” Watch the video here.
Absent an agreement between leadership that allows consideration to start before the 30-hour clock runs out on Thursday night, we likely won’t see much debate on the National Defense Authorization Act before Congress skips town for a week-long Memorial Day recess.
But that’s not stopping lawmakers. As of Wednesday afternoon, 150 amendments have been introduced. We know at least of those will get a vote, since Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said this week that leadership promised her proposal to let military lawyers, not commanders, decide whether to prosecute sexual assault cases would be considered. Gillibrand has tried twice in the past to pass the legislation, and said she is “hopeful” she will get enough support this time to clear a 60-vote threshold after a report this year alleged that the Pentagon is misleading Congress on sexual assault data.
But Sen. Claire McCaskill, who has opposed Gillibrand’s reforms, doesn’t seem convinced. She told us that the report Gillibrand is hanging this latest attempt on was based on data before wide-ranging reforms were passed, which the Missouri Democrat says are helping.
“I’m not sure when there’ll be a vote, but I certainly am confident that the reforms we put in place are making a meaningful difference,” she said.
One provision already in the bill is likely to survive both debate on the Senate floor and a conference with the House, Sen. Kelly Ayotte tells us. The bill, introduced by the New Hampshire Republican and approved by voice vote during a closed committee mark up, would allow female troops to serve in any capacity in U.S. detention facilities, regardless of objections by detainees.
“I can’t imagine where anyone wouldn’t want to have this in the bill,” Ayotte said. “That would be sending the wrong message, especially when you think about it, we’ve now opened all combat positions to women, women who are very qualified. To allow a terrorist to have a say is pretty absurd.”
CLINTON’S LOOSE LIPS? A former State Department official is claiming that “sloppy communications,” by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton may have compromised counterterrorism ops. Bill Johnson a former political adviser to U.S. Pacific Command, claimed that on two occasions, the loose communications policies of Clinton and her immediate staff may have allowed U.S. targets to get away. Read about the Newsweek story here.
CARTER’S BUDGET TALK COUNTERED: Justin Johnson from Heritage is out with an op-ed in the Washington Examiner this morning challenging Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s reasons for limiting defense spending. Johnson quotes Carter in four areas and then argues that he’s wrong on all counts.
SHIP-SHAPE: BAE Systems landed two ship repair contracts yesterday. The Pentagon announced that BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair was awarded a $40 million contract for the extended dry-docking selected restricted availability for the destroyer Paul Hamilton. BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair, meanwhile, was awarded a $17 million contract for the SRA on the dock landing ship Tortuga.
Also, L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace nabbed a $302 million contract for logistics services for Marine Corps C-12 utility lift aircraft and Navy TC-12B trainer aircraft.
TROOPS 4 TRUMP: “Military voters around the country prefer Trump to Clinton by a 9-point margin, according to a new Morning Consult poll,” Sarah Westwood reports this morning. “The survey of veterans and those who live with veterans found Trump won 47 percent of registered voters’ support to Clinton’s 38 percent. However, in a hypothetical match-up against Sen. Bernie Sanders, Trump led the Vermont senator by only 4 points.”
SEAL OF APPROVAL: Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana endorsed Trump yesterday, Kelly Cohen writes. “As a former SEAL, we need a commander in chief that’ll put the troops first, and national security interests first before raising money for the Clinton Foundation, or mishandling classified information, or Benghazi, and the list goes on. We need a commander in chief who puts our interests first and Donald Trump will be that commander in chief.”
TARNISHED SILVER STAR: American Sniper Chris Kyle’s valor is not in question, but the number of decorations he received is. Kyle, a Navy SEAL who was murdered in 2013, claimed two have been awarded two Silver Stars and six Bronze Stars. But the Navy is now looking into discrepancies highlighted by the Intercept that Kyle was awarded only one Silver Star and three Bronze Stars. Bradley Cooper portrayed Kyle in the 2013 movie “American Sniper,” and was nominated as Best Actor.
THE VIRAL GRADUATION PHOTO: A picture of 2nd Lt. Alix Schoelcher Idrache, published on the Facebook page of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, went viral this week. The picture, taken by an Army photographer at commencement, captures Idrache at attention, his cheeks streaked with tears. The Washington Post has the backstory of the Haitian immigrant, who became a citizen and pursued his American dream. You can see the image on Idrache’s Facebook page. He made it his cover photo
SILENT HAWK & NIGHTMARE: Those are the names given to two prototype stealth motorcycles on display at the National Defense Industrial Association’s Special Operations Forces Industry Conference being held in Tampa. The Pentagon launched a “stealth bike” competition through its Small Business Innovation Research program, reports the Washington Times. Gotta admit … they look cool.
THE RUNDOWN
Wall Street Journal: Pentagon Considers Temporary Use of European-Built Rockets
Breaking Defense: Should Coasties Or Navy Build New Icebreaker?
UPI: Russia getting helicopters for Arctic operations
Daily Beast: From Team Hillary to Vietnam Lobbyist
UPI: DRS Technologies, Roboteam partner for Army program
USNI News: LRASM Set for More Air, Surface Tests This Year
War on the Rocks: Grading Defense Reform
Washington Post: Why the U.S. military turned a hipster tattoo parlor into a Special Operations lab
Military.com: Top General Urges Lawmakers to Preserve Afghan Visa Program
AP: Obama, Abe heed politics of contrition on Hiroshima visit
Military.com: Inside Donald Trump’s Complex Relationship with the Military
CNN: ISIS lets Raqqa residents flee city as offensive waged to north
War on the Rocks: Signs of a nascent Islamic State province in the Philippines
Daily Beast: The Taliban’s Cruel New Leader
Defense One: Pentagon Playing the Long Game in the South China Sea, Carter Says
Army Times: Jon Stewart to host Warrior Games opening ceremony at West Point
Reuters: Israel’s new defense chief jokes about curbing his fiery nature
Fox News: Sunken American WWII torpedo bomber discovered in Pacific
Calendar
THURSDAY | MAY 26
9 a.m. Cannon 311. House Homeland Security Committee discusses TSA security lines in light of growing terror threats. homeland.house.gov
10 a.m. Dirksen 342. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs will hold a hearing on protecting the U.S. from ISIS. hsgac.senate.gov
10 a.m. Rayburn 2118. House Armed Services Committee holds a Navy force structure readiness hearing. armedservices.house.gov
10:30 a.m. Dirksen 106. Senate Appropriations Committee will mark up the fiscal 2017 defense appropriations bill and fiscal 2017 homeland security appropriations bill. appropriations.senate.gov
12 p.m. Rayburn 2172. House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Africa, global health, global human rights, and international organizations discusses what’s next after the ISIS genocide declaration. foreignaffairs.house.gov
5 p.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE. Retired Adm. James Stavridis will speak about the future of NATO and U.S. alliances. heritage.org
6 p.m. Live stream. The Council on Foreign Relations hosts Ray Takeyh and Steven Simon to discuss the U.S. involvement from 1945 to 1991 and shed light on today’s Middle East. cfr.org
TUESDAY | MAY 31
9:30 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Brookings Institution hosts a panel to discuss if the Iran nuclear deal is a prelude to proliferation in the Middle East. brookings.edu
12 p.m. 1667 K Street N.W. The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments will host a panel to discuss a new report on the extended nuclear deterrence in the second nuclear age. csba.org
1:30 p.m. 1401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. The Center for a New American Security hosts an event looking at a two-state solution that can meet both Israeli and Palestinian needs. cnas.org
THURSDAY | JUNE 2
7 a.m. Hilton Alexandria Mark Center. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Dennis Crall speaks at NDIA breakfast on command, control, communications, and computers. ndia.org
7:45 a.m. Army Navy Club N.W. Stephen Welby, assistant secretary of defense for research and development will speak at a science and engineering breakfast. ndia.org
8:30 a.m. Murrow Room. The National Press Club hosts a meeting to establish common ground to destroy ISIS/Al Qaeda. press.org
