The United States military will continue to ensure our troops are prepared to defend the Nation. Although aspects of our daily lives have changed, I am proud of our Service Members & DoD Civilians who are answering the call, all around our great country.
Tomorrow, at 10 a.m. EDT, #GenMilley, #SEAC4 Ramon "CZ" Colon-Lopez & I will host a virtual town hall to allow Service Members, their Families & DoD Civilians an opportunity to ask questions about the #COVID19 response.
I'm confident that together we will defeat this virus & come back even stronger.
For an opportunity to have your question answered, tap the link below & post in the comments.
A grateful nation and the Department of Defense grieves the tragic loss of the Marines and Sailor lost in the amphibious assault vehicle accident off the coast of San Clemente Island.
Our prayers and condolences are with the family and friends of these brave young men:
Lance Cpl. Guillermo S. Perez, 20, of New Braunfels, TX
Pfc. Bryan J. Baltierra, 19, of Corona, CA
Lance Cpl. Marco A. Barranco, 21, of Montebello, CA
Pfc. Evan A. Bath, 19, of Oak Creek, WI
U.S. Navy Hospitalman Christopher Gnem, 22, of Stockton, CA
Pfc. Jack Ryan Ostrovsky, 21, of Bend, OR
Cpl. Wesley A. Rodd, 23, of Harris, TX
Lance Cpl. Chase D. Sweetwood, 19, of Portland, OR
Cpl. Cesar A. Villanueva, 21, of Riverside, CA
Their service, commitment & courage will always be remembered by the nation they served.
At the direction of the @POTUS, we will realign our forces in Europe to support our partners and stand up to malign adversary behavior.
This will redistribute 11,900 U.S. military members in both permanent stationing and rotating deployments -- 5,400 will be re-stationed in Europe and 6,500 will return home to installations in the United States.
As a veteran myself and former soldier once stationed in Europe, I understand the emotions both our military members and their families will face as they anticipate changes that may affect their homes and lives.
After reviewing recommendations across the Department, I immediately acted on issues we can address now.
Remove photographs from consideration by promotion boards and selection processes. Develop additional guidance that emphasizes retaining qualified and diverse talent.
Update the @DeptofDefense’s military equal opportunity and diversity inclusion policies.
On June 17, I announced three new initiatives aimed at advancing equal opportunity, diversity, and inclusion across our Force.
First, I directed our civilian and uniformed leadership in the Pentagon to bring me concrete ideas by the end of June that we could implement quickly, such as removing photos from selection boards.
Second, I established an internal Department of Defense Board on Diversity and Inclusion, which will provide recommendations by the end of the year on how we can increase diversity and ensure equal opportunity for all Service members.
The #US military is the greatest military force in history, not just because of tactics and technology, but because our all-volunteer patriots who believe in, and pledge their lives to defend, the values that make us Americans.
What defines us as Americans? Not our race or religion. Our values and beliefs that bind us as a people; chief among them: we are all created equal. Every member of the @DeptofDefense pledges to defend those values with our lives.
Today I'm creating a new, internal “Defense Board on Diversity & Inclusion in the Military,” which will conduct a 6-month sprint to develop concrete, actionable recommendations to increase racial diversity & ensure equal opportunity across all ranks & in the officer corps.
As we work with our interagency partners to mitigate risk of the spread of #COVID19, I want to ensure our Service Members, their Families, our DoD civilians & personnel are as safe as possible. One of my top priorities remains protection & welfare of our people.
Effective March 13, I am directing all DoD uniformed personnel, civilian personnel & their Families traveling to, from or through Level 3 designated locations to stop movement for the next 60 days.
I will continue to delegate all necessary authority to commanders to make further decisions based on their assessments to protect their people & ensure mission readiness.