Thread by @DefenseBaron

John McCain’s legacy beautifully honored at @HFXforum, where he was a rockstar for years, as @cindymccain presents a new award in his name. #HISF2018

“We’ve lost his voice now at a time when it was most needed. It’s up to us, now...” - @cindymccain #HISF2018 presenting 1st John McCain award to “the people of Lesbos” for welcoming refugees. “They helped them.”

Gen. Dunford, speaking next, applauds two Boy Scouts from the Greek island Lesbos who helped organized refugee assistance for fleeing migrants arriving at their border and are accepting the inaugural McCain award.

Dunford begins by saying to @cindymccain it was worth the trip just to be a part of the McCain tribute. “I miss him and I miss his voice. I will just speak for all of us in uniform, he made us better leaders...it was worth coming to Halifax.” #HISF2018 @thejointstaff

Dunford also joked he can't believe he's saying that because there were days when he didn't feel it, or get the same heroes welcome as the troops coming home, under McCain's tough oversight.

"Today, we can meet our alliance commitments...but I also know our relative competitive advantage...has eroded over the past 10 or 15 years" as we focused on CVE. - Dunford #HISF2018

"If we don't have sustained, predictable, adequate levels of funding"... whoever's in my job in 2023 "will probably not have the same degree of confidence."- Dunford #HISF2018

Dunford says China "has identified some vulnerabilities" and developed weapons systems to prevent US-allies from projecting power, from lessons of studying US war methods since the 1990s. #HISF2018

Moderator: "Is the US failing to modernize?"
Dunford: "No."
Me: Yeah, here's a link to @DefenseOne's massive coverage of the flush defense industry defenseone.com/business cc: @MarcusReports

"It's not that simple" - Dunford artfully answers, when asked who is right, the president (who wants a 5% budget cut) or the NDS commission report that said DOD needs more $. "It's not just about the top line, it's about the degree of predictability" to spend wisely. #HISF2018

"Those are still required" - Dunford, on spending on "airplanes and ships" the public thinks of...but then lists tech investments wanted, to keep the tech edge. #HISF2018

JUST IN: Gen. Dunford, on #ProjectMaven: "I have a hard time w companies that are working v hard to engage in the market in China," and share intellectual property, which is synonymous with Chinese military, but don't want to work w US military. "We are the good guys." #HISF2018

On Afghanistan: "We're not going to have a military solution. Success in Afghan is an Afghan owned and Afghan led political process." #HISF2018

JUST IN: Dunford says of Taliban "They are not losing right now." Says of the "stalemate" assessment of last year "That hasn't changed very much" as defends the So. Asia strategy #Afghanistan

Peter MacKay, former MOD of Canada, asks Dunford on arctic and missile defense. Dunford DOD "in the process of completing a missile defense review right now...for some time"

Dunford, on INF: "A political decision has not been made. I'm not gonna speculate when" ... "but the INF is not about China, the INF is about Russia" Says US will deal with other technology later, separately. #HISF2018

Dunford gets a question from the great Mara Karlin, of @SAISHopkins, says hi, I've read a lot of what you've written, but we've never met, "another person who keeps us on our feet," to crowd chuckles. Here's 7 of her peices, at @DefenseOne: defenseone.com/voices/mara-e-… #HISF2018

JUST IN: Joint Chiefs's Gen. Dunford, asked about border deployment. "Nothing that we are doing is illegal." Says US military is "filling legitimate capability gaps"... "our job is not to deny access to immigrants" or come in contact with anyone coming to the border. #HISF2018

In my question I noted to Dunford that he just led the applause for an award to Greeks for welcoming migrants and refugees to their border, while US troops were deployed to do what many here see as the exact opposite. "I reject the comparison," he said, quickly. #HISF2018

Moderator's follow up asked about US support for the military and in his answer Dunford stressed teaching young troops to stay apolitical, referencing my question, and repeated that sense in answering Karen de Young policy question on Saudis. #HISF2018

So glad to see Gen. Dunford on camera and on the record for opening questions, and he easily stays in his lane while providing good answers to direct questions on a long list of issues. Thanks @thejointstaff. #HISF2018

Next, @INDOPACOM’s Adm. Davidson begins a speech stressing common values, seemingly speaking directing to Beijing. #HISF2018

"What was a Great Wall of sand..is now a Great Wall of SAMs" re: China's islands in the So. China Sea, quips the admiral to quiet groans. (SAM = surface-to-air missiles) #HISF2018

Oh, @HFXforum going right where I live with a subversive intro video on "Asia Values" to the blaring tune of Aquarius from Hair. #HISF2018 #harmonyandunderstanding #trustabounding #Broadway

If they do a Space Force session to Defying Gravity, I'm dead. #HISF2018