INHOFE WEIGHS IN: Oklahoma Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe has become the latest lawmaker to express concern about the case of Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier, who was relieved of his Space Force command for discussing his self-published book, which criticizes the military’s diversity, inclusion, and equity training as “rooted in Marxism.” Inhofe, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released a statement over the weekend after the office of the Air Force Inspector General announced it would review the case.
“Based on the information the committee has received so far and what’s been reported in the press, I am concerned,” Inhofe said. “Members of our military should not only be able to speak out against Marxism, but they should be encouraged to do so — as long as they follow the rules and laws already in place.”
“Marxism is an ideology that goes against everything this country stands for,” he said. “As we await the results of the Inspector General investigation, I will continue looking into ways we can protect service members of all ideologies to ensure they have the freedom of speech and thought they are afforded as citizens of this country, including through the NDAA.”
OUSTED SPACE FORCE COMMANDER SAYS MILITARY PUSHED TRAINING THAT CLAIMS WHITE PEOPLE ARE ‘EVIL’
CRUZ: ‘A WOKE, EMASCULATED MILITARY’: After mocking an animated U.S. Army recruitment video that featured a young female soldier with two mothers, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has filled his Twitter feed with recruitment videos that in his judgment are sufficiently badass, including one featuring a Marine recruit scaling a cliff and a World War II film featuring Air Force pilot Jimmy Stewart.
Last week, Cruz caused a social media ruckus when he tweeted a video that contrasted a TikTok video of a Russian paratrooper with the true story U.S. Army Cpl. Emma Malonelord, who operates a Patriot missile battery, along with his comment, “Holy crap. Perhaps a woke, emasculated military is not the best idea.”
Then Cruz went on Hannity, and he didn’t back down from his tweet. “We’re seeing Democratic politicians and these woke lefty bureaucrats and lefty media reporters trying to destroy the American military, trying to turn it into, frankly, a bunch of pansies.”
CRUZ SLAMS ‘PITIFUL’ BRIAN WILLIAMS FOR ‘KREMLIN CRUZ’ MONIKER
THE BLOWBACK: Cruz’s implication that soldiers such as Malonelord are “emasculating” the U.S. military met immediate pushback from her commanders and female combat veterans.
“For what it’s worth, I met this Corporal a few months ago during a routine unit visit,” tweeted Gen. Robert Abrams, the commander of U.S. Forces in Korea. “Exceptionally sharp, professional, technical expert, highly respected by her peers, superiors and subordinates. Superstar by any measure.”
“CPL Malonelord spent most of the past 24 hours ruck marching in a relay for fallen JTACs here on Osan Air Base,” tweeted her brigade commander. “Next week I’m going to run in a run for fallen Air Defenders that she organized with junior leaders in her battery. The Army is in GREAT HANDS!”
“I’m willing to wait to have my colleague explain to me what about the video about the corporal was emasculating or turning the military into pansies?” said Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a former Army helicopter pilot who lost both her legs in combat.
“I will tell you that when I was sitting in my helicopter bleeding to death after we were shot down, and my legs were blown off, I didn’t ask the person who came to carry me out of that helicopter to safety whether they were raised by two moms or whether or how they identified,” Duckworth said on CNN.
AUSTIN’S WORDS AT WEST POINT: The Pentagon has yet to confront head-on the criticism that its inclusiveness training has become “too woke” by embracing critical race theory and the concept of white privilege.
But in his speech to graduates at West Point Saturday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin noted the new lieutenants were entering a changed world with “raw divisions at home.”
“Just like the nation it defends, the United States military strives to be a more perfect version of itself,” Austin said. “You serve a country that loves liberty … That stands for democracy and decency at home or abroad … That cherishes the rich tapestry of the backgrounds of its citizens. That strives to grow and to man and to reach the better angels of our nature.”
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Good Monday 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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NOTE TO READERS: Daily on Defense will be on hiatus for one week, beginning Memorial Day, Monday, May 31 through Friday, June 4, 2021. We will return to your inbox Monday morning, June 7.
HAPPENING THIS WEEK: This is the week we finally get to see the details of the $715 billion defense budget that has been anxiously anticipated on Capitol Hill. Work in the various appropriations and defense committees has been in a holding pattern while awaiting the Biden administration that has been crafting the final version of its proposed spending plan for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.
The big day is Thursday, when the Pentagon and all the services roll out their budgets in a daylong series of briefings, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley testify before the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee.
REED BACKS MILITARY JUSTICE REFORM: Rhode Island Democrat Jack Reed, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has joined a majority of his congressional colleagues by announcing his support for removing military commanders from the process of prosecuting service members accused of sexual assault.
Reed, who graduated West Point in 1971, released a statement Sunday saying that the Independent Review Commission appointed by Secretary Austin has “largely accepted” the proposal for reform advocated by New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
“With that in mind, the IRC’s recommendation to change the role of the chain of command in the prosecution of sexual assault cases will be included in the Chairman’s mark that we will soon take up,” Reed said, referring to the amendments of the National Defense Authorization Act that are proposed by the chairman.
A stand-alone bill already has a filibuster-proof number of backers, but including the change in the NDAA would almost ensure passage.
INHOFE AGREE TO DISAGREE: The ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Jim Inhofe, is not on board with the change, which would give the authority to decide when to prosecute serious cases of sexual assault to trained military lawyers.
“While I can’t support removing commanders from the decision-making process, I appreciate Chairman Reed’s commitment to ensuring this issue is debated and voted on during the full committee markup of the NDAA,” Inhofe said in his own statement. “I agree with Chairman Reed that this important issue deserves robust debate as we consider this year’s National Defense Authorization Act. I also would like to acknowledge Senator Gillibrand for her leadership on this issue.”
HIJACKED! The United States and its European allies are furious that Belarus used the pretext of a bomb threat and a MiG-29 fighter jet to force a Ryanair commercial airliner to land in Minsk so that an opposition journalist could be arrested.
“The United States strongly condemns the forced diversion of a flight between two EU member states and the subsequent removal and arrest of journalist Raman Pratasevich in Minsk. We demand his immediate release,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement. “Given indications the forced landing was based on false pretenses, we support the earliest possible meeting of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization to review these events.”
Blinken called the forced landing a “shocking act,” and he said the U.S. “once again condemns the [Alexander] Lukashenko regime’s ongoing harassment and arbitrary detention of journalists.”
BELARUS DIVERTS PLANE BOUND FOR LITHUANIA TO FORCE ARREST OF OPPOSITION JOURNALIST
IRON DOME: Four Republican senators are introducing legislation to make sure Israel is able to replenish its anti-rocket defenses after eleven days of heavy use during the conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
“Iranian-backed terrorists have launched thousands of rockets targeting innocent civilians in Israel. In addition, their hate for Israel has also resulted in misfires that have killed their own people in Gaza,” said Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. “Israel’s Iron Dome has saved countless lives, and we should ensure that it is fully funded and Israel has what it needs to continue to defend itself.”
The Emergency Resupply for Iron Dome Act would redirect U.S. foreign assistance to help Israel replenish its inventory of defense interceptors. The other sponsors are Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty, Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
HAMAS RETAINS ROBUST ROCKET ARSENAL DESPITE 11 DAYS OF ISRAELI STRIKES, EXPERTS SAY
BIDEN: US READY ‘TO ENGAGE DIPLOMATICALLY’ WITH NORTH KOREA: After his meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the White House Friday, President Joe Biden said that both countries are ready for another stab at diplomacy with North Korea.
“Our two nations also share a willingness to engage diplomatically with the DPRK, to take pragmatic steps that will reduce tensions as we move toward our ultimate goal of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” Biden said.
On ABC Sunday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, unlike the Trump administration approach, Biden is not seeking to accomplish everything in a single agreement.
“I don’t think there’s going to be a grand bargain where this gets resolved in one fell swoop. It’s got to be clearly calibrated diplomacy, clear steps from the North Koreans, and it moves forward in that way,” Blinken said. “We’re waiting to see if Pyongyang actually wants to engage. The ball’s in their court.”
“We’re prepared to do the diplomacy,” Blinken said. “The question is, is North Korea?”
HARRY’S TAKE: When it comes to decoding what’s going on with North Korea, we often turn to Harry Kazianis, a Korea expert at the Center for the National Interest.
“While Joe Biden and Moon Jae-in were all smiles talking warmly about a rejuvenated U.S.-South Korea alliance, it seems all but certain Seoul is leaving Washington disappointed,” Kazianis emails.
“While Team Biden talks about being practical, clear-eyed, pragmatic and wanting to take a slower approach in contrast to the prior administration’s dream of some sort of grand bargain with Pyongyang, there is no substance behind such words. Even weeks after the White House rolled out its North Korea policy review, we still have no idea what the specific policy ideas or actions Washington is willing to take to get North Korea to give up a single nuclear weapon actually are.”
“The danger here is simple,” Kazianas writes. “North Korea might not be a top priority for Washington right now, but we should always remember we are just one ICBM or nuclear weapons test away from another diplomatic showdown.”
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The Rundown
Washington Examiner: US touts ‘meaningful progress’ in Iran nuclear talks
Washington Examiner: Belarus diverts plane bound for Lithuania to force arrest of oppositional journalist
Washington Examiner: Cruz slams ‘pitiful’ Brian Williams for ‘Kremlin Cruz’ moniker
Washington Examiner: Hamas retains robust rocket arsenal despite 11 days of Israeli strikes, experts say
Washington Examiner: GOP bill would reimpose sanctions on Kremlin-backed Nord Stream 2 after Biden Admin waived them
Washington Examiner: FBI analyst arrested after taking home classified information on terrorism
Washington Examiner: Cruz accuses ‘The Squad’ of acting like ‘press secretaries for Hamas terrorists’
Washington Examiner: Microsoft says it was hit by Chinese hackers, but Biden administration won’t point finger
Roll Call: Divide Over Scope Of Military’s Extremism Problem Impedes Culture, Policy Changes
AP: National Guard mission to provide security ending at Capitol
Military Times: Fort Belvoir, cruiser Antietam under consideration for renaming by DoD commission
AP: US General: As US Scales Back In Mideast, China May Step In
Business Insider: The Navy Has A New Ocean To Worry About, It’s Not Clear How It’s Going To Deal With It, Top Lawmaker Says
New York Times: In The Russian Arctic, A Frosty Military Campaign
AP: Growing Mystery Of Suspected Energy Attacks Draws US Concern
Defense One: With Half Its Troops Unvaccinated, Pentagon Aims To Persuade Skeptics
Military.com: DoD Has Had 1,640 COVID ‘Breakthrough’ Cases Among Vaccinated Beneficiaries
New York Times: A Look Inside Israel’s ‘Fortress of Zion’ Military Command Beneath Tel Aviv
Washington Post: Once snubbed by Biden, Egypt’s Sissi uses Gaza cease-fire role to prove his relevance
Air Force Magazine: F-16s Could Still be Flying Into the 2070s
Air Force Magazine: ABMS, in New Phase, Prepares To Start Fielding
Military Times: Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group Joins Up With British Carrier Ahead Of Its Maiden Deployment
BBC: The Navy Sub [UK] Commanded By Artificial Intelligence
Military.com: Frosted Windows, Shower Signs: What It Took To Get The Marines’ San Diego Boot Camp Ready For Female Recruits
Boston Herald: USS Constitution Sets Sail Again For First Time In Over A Year
19fortyfive.com: Opinion: Japan’s Backwards Island Defense Strategy Against China Is a Mistake
Calendar
MONDAY | MAY 24
11 a.m. — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces hearing: “FY22 Priorities for National Security Space Programs,” with John Hill, performing as assistant secretary of defense for space policy; Space Force Gen. David Thompson, vice chief of space operations; Christopher Scolese; director, National Reconnaissance Office; Maj. Gen. Charles Cleveland, associate director of operations, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency; Jon Ludwigson, director, contracting and national security acquisitions, GAO. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
2 p.m. — House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies hearing on Army quality of life and installations, with Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment J.E. “Jack” Surash; Army Lt. Gen. Jason Evans, deputy chief of staff, G9; and Sgt. Major of the Army Michael Grinston.
2 p.m. — House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies hearing on the fiscal 2022 budget request for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Jaime Pinkham; and Army Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon, chief of engineers and commanding general, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
TUESDAY | MAY 25
8 a.m. — United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research virtual conference: “Nuclear Risk: Across Technologies and Domains,” with former Finnish Ambassador to Sweden Jarmo Viinanen. https://www.unidir.org/events
9 a.m. —U.S. Chamber of Commerce, South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, and CyberSC virtual NOW + NEXT Cybersecurity Conference, with Gov. Henry McMaster, R-S.C.; former National Security Agency Director and U.S. Cyber Command Commander Gen. Keith Alexander; former Army CIO Lt. Gen. Bruce Crawford; and South Carolina state Senator Tom Young. https://www.uschamber.com/event/now-next-cybersecurity-conference
9 a.m. — Intelligence National Security Alliance virtual discussion on the counterterrorism mission given the renewed focus on great power competition and other competing priorities, policy initiatives and the current threat landscape, with Milancy Harris, deputy assistant defense secretary for special operations and combatting terrorism. https://www.insaonline.org/event/coffee-conversation
9:30 a.m. G50 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing for Frank Kendall, to be secretary of the Air Force; Susanna Blume, to be director of the Pentagon’s department Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation; and Heidi Shyu, to be under secretary of defense for research and engineering. https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings
10 a.m. 106 Dirksen — Senate Appropriations Committee hearing: “A Review of the FY2022 State Department Budget Request,” with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. http://appropriations.senate.gov
12 p.m. — Hudson Institute webinar with Army Gen. Stephen Lyons, commander of U.S. Transportation Command, with Bryan Clark, director of the Hudson Center for Defense Concepts and Technology; and Timothy Walton, fellow at the Hudson Center for Defense Concepts and Technology. https://www.hudson.org/events/1955-virtual-event
1 p.m. — Atlantic Council webinar, “After the Insurrection: Domestic Violent Extremism and the Intelligence Challenge” with Mitch Silber, executive director of the Community Security Initiative; former Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense Todd Rosenblum, nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Center for Strategy and Security; former Undersecretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis Caryn Wagner, adjunct faculty member at National Intelligence University; Dina Temple-Raston, correspondent at National Public Radio; and Tom Warrick, nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Center for Strategy and Security. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/after-the-insurrection
1 p.m. — Center for a New American Security “virtual fireside chat” with Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr., chief of staff of the Air Force, and Stacie Pettyjohn, senior fellow and director defense program, CNAS. https://www.cnas.org/events/special-event-virtual-fireside-chat
3 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel Hearing: “Keeping Our Service Members and Their Families Safe and Ready: The Military’s Prevention and Response to Domestic Violence,” with Col. Steve Lewis, manager Army Family Advocacy Program; Col. Andrew Cruz, chief, Air Force Family Advocacy Program; Crystal Griffen, Navy deputy director Family Support commander; Lisa Eaffaldano, assistant branch head, Marine Corps Prevention and Clinical Services; and Patricia Barron, deputy assistant secretary of defense for military community and family policy. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
WEDNESDAY | MAY 26
10 a.m. — American Security Project virtual discussion: “ Maintaining a Strategic U.S. Presence in the Persian Gulf,” with Khalid Al-Khater, director of the Qatar Foreign Affairs Ministry Policy and Planning Department; retired Army Lt. Gen. Daniel Christman, former senior vice president for international affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; retired Army Col. David Des Roches, associate professor in the National Defense University Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies; and retired Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Stephen Cheney, ASP president. https://www.americansecurityproject.org/event
10 a.m. — Middle East Institute webinar: “Deal or No Deal: U.S.-Iran Talks and Implications for the Middle East, with former Iraqi Ambassador to the United States Rend Al-Rahim, co-founder and president of the Iraq Foundation; Michael Rubin, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute; Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the Crisis Group; and Alex Vatanka, director of the MEI Iran program. https://www.mei.edu/events/deal-or-no-deal
10 a.m. — Center for American Progress webinar: “A New Era for Cooperation? The U.S.-Republic of Korea Alliance After the Moon-Biden Summit,” Mark Lippert, senior adviser and Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies; Heung-kyu Kim, founder and director of the Ajou University China Policy Institute; Jenna Gibson, Korea columnist at the Diplomat; and Tobias Harris, senior fellow at CAP. https://www.americanprogress.org/events
10 a.m. — United States Institute of Peace webinar: “In Search of Peace for Afghanistan: Historical Perspectives, with former UN Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Syria Lakhdar Brahimi; former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Olson, senior adviser at USIP; former Afghanistan Ambassador to Pakistan and China Janan Mosazai, co-founder and vice president of the Heart of Asia Society; Omar Sharifi, country director at the American Institute of Afghanistan Studies; Omar Sadr, assistant professor of political science at the American University of Afghanistan; Robert Crews, professor of history at Stanford University; Kawun Kakar, executive director of the Kakar History Foundation; Belquis Ahmadi, senior program officer at USIP; and Dipali Mukhopadhyay, senior expert at USIP. https://www.usip.org/events/search-peace-afghanistan-historical-perspectives
10 a.m. — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association virtual Spring 2021 Intelligence Symposium, with Dustin Gard-Weiss, deputy director of national intelligence for policy and capabilities; Morgan Muir, deputy director of national intelligence for mission integration; John Beieler, director of science and technology in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; Dan Wang, director of CIA Labs; and Cindy Daniell, research director at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. https://www.afcea.org/event/siregister
11:30 a.m. EDT — Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley delivers commencement address at the Air Force Academy’s class of 2021 graduation ceremony at Colorado Springs, Co. https://www.usafa.edu
12 p.m. — Heritage Foundation webinar: “This Budget Doesn’t Add Up: How Biden’s Spending Plan Misses the Mark for Both Defense and Education,” with Thomas Spoehr, director of the Heritage Center for National Defense; and Lindsey Burke, director of the Heritage Center for Education Policy. https://www.heritage.org/budget-and-spending/event
2 p.m. — Government Executive Media Group webinar: “The Future of Navy Modernization,” with Lt. Gen. Eric Smith, commanding general of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command. https://www.defenseone.com/feature/the-future-of-navy-modernization
4:30 p.m. 232A Russell — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing to receive testimony on space force, military space operations, policy and programs, with Gen. David Thompson, vice chief of space operations; John Hill, performing the duties of assistant secretary of defense for space policy; and Darlene Costello, acting assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology, and logistics. https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings
THURSDAY | MAY 27
9:30 a.m. G50 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing for Christopher Maier to be assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict; Deborah Rosenblum to be assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical, and biological defense programs; Frank Rose to be principal deputy administrator the National Nuclear Security Administration; and Jill Hruby to be undersecretary of energy for nuclear security and administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration. https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings
9:30 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion on “the U.S.-Republic of Korea alliance and the North Korean threat, with retired Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, former commander of U.S. Forces Korea. https://www.csis.org/events/korea
11 a.m. — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces hearing: “Department of the Navy Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Request for Seapower and Projection Forces,” with Jay Stefany, acting assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition; Vice Adm. James Kilby, deputy chief of naval operations, warfighting requirements and capabilities; and Lt. Gen. Eric Smith, commanding general, Marine Corps Combat Development Command. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
11:40 a.m. — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association virtual Spring 2021 Intelligence Symposium, with Army Gen. Paul Nakasone, commander of the U.S. Cyber Command, director of the National Security Agency and chief of the Central Security Service. https://www.afcea.org/event/siregister
1 p.m. — House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing: “Fiscal Year 2022 Department of Defense Budget,” with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. https://appropriations.house.gov/events/hearings
3 p.m. — House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces hearing: “Army Tactical Wheeled Vehicle Program Update and Review of Electrification,” Tim Goddette, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition policy and logistics; and Michael Cadiuex, director, Combat Capabilities Development Command Ground Vehicle Systems Center. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
FRIDAY | MAY 28
10 a.m. — Vice President Kamala Harris delivers commencement address at the U.S. Naval Academy’s class of 2021 graduation ceremony in Annapolis, Md. https://www.usna.edu
MONDAY | MAY 31
Memorial Day — No Daily on Defense
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I just might have a bit of insight into what you’re facing. A democracy under strain, economic fallout, painful issues of racism and discrimination, social tensions, and the end of a long and controversial war. Well, that all sounds pretty familiar to those of us from the Class of 1975.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, telling graduates at West Point that the nation has faced division and turmoil and always emerged stronger.
