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WE HAVE SEEN THE ENEMY, IT IS US: Change is hard, Army Secretary Mark Esper lectured his audience at the Association of the U.S. Army conference in Washington yesterday. But the Army needs to give up its old ways if it wants to keep pace with America’s adversaries, and that poses a challenge to those who have become too comfortable with the current institutional inertia. Esper compared the expected resistance to his plans for an Army renaissance to short-sighted Army leaders of the past who didn’t want to give up the horse cavalry or realize the potential of the Wright brothers’ new-fangled flying machine beyond using it for observation. “While European nations were developing a combat role for aviation, the U.S. Army was stuck viewing the airplane through the end of a Civil War-era hot air balloon,” Esper said during a keynote speech opening the three-day event. “Our transformation will have its own group of critics. Whether it’s holding on to the old way of doing things, or failing to envision different applications for new things, there will be naysayers who oppose change. They will tell us autonomous vehicles will never work on the battlefield, that the new combat fitness test will push too many people out of the Army, that higher accession standards will scare way recruits, and that Army Futures Command won’t deliver,” Esper said. “They will claim reform has been tried before and it will never work in a bureaucracy as large as the Army.” A MILLION HERE, A MILLION THERE… Esper says he and Army Chief Gen. Mark Milley have been over the budget with a fine-tooth comb and have already identified $25 billion that can be better spent elsewhere. “I can’t tell you how many times someone has said to me, ‘Don’t eliminate that program, it’s only $10 million,’ or ‘Don’t cut that office, it’s only 15 people,’” Esper said. “You know what though? By going after the nickels and dimes, we’ve freed up over $25 billion in countless personnel billets that we will put back into building readiness and modernizing the Army.” Later at a joint news conference with Milley, Esper indicated there would be further cuts and reprogramming, saying “That dollar figure is a low end.” Esper declined to provide more details so as not to get ahead of the Army’s 2020 budget request to Congress. “I got to tell you, the chief and I spent 40, 50, 60 hours going through program after program after program after activity after activity to look at each one and assess it and ask ourselves ‘is this more important than a next-generation combat vehicle, is this more important than a new squad automatic weapon, is this more important than long-range precision fires?’ So, we had to make those tradeoffs and it resulted in reductions and cancellations and consolidations. So, that is our intent as we continue to go through the other pegs, the manning, the training and those,” Esper said. WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET FIT: About those new fitness standards, the Army will be phasing in the new test over the next two years. The tasks will be the same, but the standards will be refined as they see how soldiers do. The big change is that all the physical requirements are directly related to things soldiers have to do in combat. And Milley stressed everyone will have to meet the same standard no matter their age, rank, or job. “That’s why it’s gender-neutral. That’s why it’s age-neutral because combat is unforgiving. It doesn’t matter how old you are. The enemy doesn’t care. Before they shoot you they don’t say, ‘Hey, are you 25 or are you 45?’ They don’t do that. They just shoot you, and dead is dead.” Milley says he expects a lot of “cards and letters” of complaint because the tough new standards will be a “culture shock,” but that soldiers will have plenty of time to adapt. “Now, if you can’t get in shape in 24 months then maybe you should hit the road,” he said. Good Tuesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre), National Security Writer Travis J. Tritten (@travis_tritten) and Senior Editor David Brown (@dave_brown24). Email us here for tips, suggestions, calendar items and anything else. If a friend sent this to you and you’d like to sign up, click here. 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 — AUSA DAY TWO: The Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting and exposition continues today at the Washington Convention Center. The schedule includes a luncheon speech by Milley and a 2:30 p.m. keynote speech by Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Other speakers:
WARNING TO SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabia could face American retribution over the disappearance of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker tweeted yesterday. “I have raised Jamal’s disappearance personally with the Saudi ambassador, and while we await more information, know we will respond accordingly to any state that targets journalists abroad,” he said. Khashoggi, a dissident Saudi Arabian, has been missing since he visited Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul last week. Turkish investigators suspect he may have been murdered while at the facility, a charge Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has denied. The U.S. has praised the crown prince as a reformer, but the mysterious disappearance of Khashoggi has caused a rift between two U.S. allies. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is demanding Saudi Arabia show security camera footage to back up the claims that Khashoggi left the consulate alive. The Washington Post has posted an image from the camera showing Khashoggi going into the building, but not coming out. “I am concerned about it. I don’t like hearing about it. And hopefully that will sort itself out,” said President Trump when asked about Khashoggi yesterday. “Right now, nobody knows anything about it, but there are some pretty bad stories going around. I do not like it.” A DARK MESSAGE: Because Khashoggi, who wrote for the Washington Post, was a critic of the Saudi government and the crown prince, his friends fear the worst. “If true, it’s the most terrifying escalation in the Saudi regime’s year-long crackdown on critics, and would severely undermine the image of the new Saudi Arabia that Mohammed bin Salman has been trying to convey,” said Varsha Koduvayur, a senior research analyst with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “It also signals a no-holds-barred approach to silencing critics: the long arm of the state extends beyond its borders to target those based outside the kingdom, too, in addition to those inside the kingdom, signifying an absolute lack of tolerance for dissent.” “The US must take a harsh stance against the kingdom’s treatment of critics and voice support for those Riyadh is unjustly detaining,” Koduvayur said. “The assassination of Khashoggi, if true, is the firmest sign of the authoritarian trajectory Saudi is going on — one that doesn’t bode well for its future reform plans, its global reputation, or the US-Saudi alliance.” SWING VOTE ON TRANSGENDER BAN? Justice Brett Kavanaugh may be joining the Supreme Court just in time to help decide whether Trump can, at least temporarily, put new restrictions on transgender military service, the Palm Center advocacy group said yesterday. A federal appeals court in Portland, Ore., will hear a Trump administration appeal on Wednesday morning asking that a preliminary injunction be lifted so Defense Secretary Jim Mattis can enforce a Pentagon policy barring many transgender people from enlisting while the issue is litigated through four ongoing lawsuits. Depending on the outcome of the appeal, the question of whether to lift the injunction and allow the Pentagon to move forward could be appealed to the Supreme Court, where Kavanaugh is a new conservative justice after being sworn in over the weekend. “Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation creates the possibility that the Supreme Court could allow the Trump administration to reinstate a ban on transgender military service,” according to the Palm Center, which is based in San Francisco. If the injunction is lifted, the policy could go into effect until the lawsuits are settled or resolved by a trial slated to begin next year. Kavanaugh will take the bench at this morning’s Supreme Court session. HIDING CRASH DATA: The Navy is no longer publicly posting some crash data for aircraft on its website amid a high number of mishaps in the Navy and Marine Corps. Detailed summaries on accidents, statistics on incidents pertaining to a range of aircraft, broader comparative data, as well as safety reports and studies, have disappeared from the Naval Safety Center’s public website, The Atlantic reported yesterday. The information is available on the web only to those with a Common Access Card, and reporters and others who want to crunch the data themselves have to make a request and wait for a response. The information was removed from the Naval Safety Center, the Navy’s command promoting safety, sometime between January and March, investigative reporter Jason Paladino discovered when he checked the site, which he has used in 2016 to document safety issues concerning 150 Navy and Marine Corps helicopters for The Virginian-Pilot. The Navy says the motivation was to protect national security. “When you aggregate so much information in one place, bits and pieces of that can be compiled by those who wish us harm to make inferences and gain intel,” spokeswoman April Phillips for the safety center told the Atlantic. MATTIS CHIDES CHINA, REBUKES RUSSIA: In his brief remarks at the Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas in Cancun, Mexico, Mattis said America’s democracy stands in contrast to the authoritarian regimes in Russia and China. Those countries “threaten sovereignty with predatory investments, piling up massive debt and seeking undue influence over other countries’ diplomatic, political and economic decisions,” Mattis said. “Our democratic nations send a message as we uphold our shared values, including respect for human rights, the rule of law, and sovereignty. “The world recognizes that the Cuba model no longer works for anyone, even Cuba,” Mattis said, before apologizing that “the rainstorm” was forcing him to leave Mexico earlier than he planned. He was apparently referring to Hurricane Michael, which is in the Gulf of Mexico bearing down on the Florida Panhandle. HE’S BACK: The secretary made it back ahead of the storm and will welcome Greece’s Minister of Defense Panagiotis Kammenos to the Pentagon at 1:30 this afternoon. As has become his custom, Mattis may also wander over to talk briefly to reporters who have gathered outside the River entrance to cover the arrival. These arrival ceremonies used to be largely ignored, but Mattis’ penchant for on-the-record chit-chat have made them must-cover events for the Pentagon press corps. INDIA DOWNPLAYS U.S. TIES: A top Indian general downplayed the significance of his country’s relationship with the United States while talking to Russian officials on Sunday, despite major recent defense agreement between the world’s two largest democracies. Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat cited last week’s decision to proceed with the purchase of Russia’s S-400 anti-aircraft system, despite U.S. sanctions on Russia’s defense industry, as evidence of India’s independence from American foreign policy wishes. “When Russians asked about the American sanctions, my reply was, ‘yes, we do appreciate that there could be sanctions on us, but we follow an independent policy,’” Rawat said during a speech. “You can rest assured. While we may be associating with America in getting some technology … we follow an independent policy.” THE RUNDOWN Defense News: What’s the rush? US Army races to get missile defense radar early Long War Journal: Taliban assaults district center south of Kabul Business Insider: These photos show 17 years of the US-led ‘Forever war’ in Afghanistan as the conflict becomes deadlier than ever AP: Seoul says Kim Jong Un wants Pope Francis to visit N. Korea Defense One: Russia is Winning the Information War in Iraq and Syria: UK General Foreign Policy: Will Republicans Lose Their Majority in Congress? Ask Pyongyang DoD Buzz: Army to Boost Social Media, Market to Major Cities After Missing Recruiting Goal Air Force Times: Florida Air Force bases eye incoming Hurricane Michael Defense Tech: B-2 Bombers Train With F-22s, Complete First Deployment to Hawaii USNI News: Better Logistics, 3D Printing Will Quickly Return Navy And Marine Corps Aircraft To Service |
CalendarTUESDAY | OCT. 9 7:30 a.m. 801 Mt Vernon Pl. NW. 2018 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition with Army Secretary Mark Esper; Gen. Mark Milley, Army Chief of Staff; Director of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen; and others. ausameetings.org 9 a.m. 1030 15th St. NW. The Arc of Crisis in the MENA Region. atlanticcouncil.org 2:30 p.m. 529 14th St. NW. North Korean Perspectives. press.org 5 p.m. 901 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Cocktails and Conversation: Army Futures, Near and Far with Gen. Gary Volesky, Commanding General of Army iCorps. defenseone.org WEDNESDAY | OCT. 10 7 a.m. 14750 Conference Dr. NDIA TRIAD Meeting. ndia.org 7 a.m. 801 Mt Vernon Pl. NW. 2018 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition with Deputy Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan and others. ausameetings.org 8 a.m. 2401 M St. NW. Defense Writers Group Breakfast with Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller. 8:30 a.m. Dirksen 342. Full Committee Hearing on Threats to the Homeland. hsgac.senate.gov 9:30 a.m. Russell 222. Subcommittee Hearing on United States Air Force Readiness with Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson; Gen. Stephen Wilson, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff; and John Pendleton, Director of Force Structure and Readiness Issues at the Government Accountability Office. armed-services.senate.gov 1 p.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Identifying – and Isolating – Jihadi-Salafists through their Ideology, Practices, and Methodology. heritage.org 2:30 p.m. 1740 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Defense Innovation Board Public Meeting. sais-jhu.edu 7 p.m. 1000 H St. NW. Jewish Institute for National Security of America Presentation of Henry “Scoop” Jackson Distinguished Service Award to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with Sens. Tom Cotton and Lindsey Graham. THURSDAY | OCT. 11 1 p.m. 929 Long Bridge Dr. U.S.-ROK Defense Industry Consultative Committee (DICC). ndia.org FRIDAY | OCT. 12 8 a.m. 300 1st St. SE. Space Threats to the US: A Discussion with Jeff Gossel, Senior Intelligence Engineer with the Space and Missiles Analysis Group at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center. mitchellaerospacepower.org 12 noon. 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE. The Perfect Weapon: War, Sabotage, and Fear in the Cyber Age with David Sanger. heritage.org TUESDAY | OCT. 16 7 a.m. 100 Westgate Circle. 23rd Annual Expeditionary Warfare Conference. ndia.org 8 a.m. 1400 14th St. N. Procurement Division Meeting. ndia.org 9:30 a.m. Dirksen G-50. Hearing on Nominations of Thomas McCaffery to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, and William Bookless to be Principal Deputy Administrator at the National Nuclear Security Administration. armed-services.senate.gov |
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