Sept. 23, 2020

U.S. Works With Allies, Partners to Minimize Civilian Casualties

WASHINGTON — The Defense Security Cooperation Agency has expanded its efforts to include promotion of civilian protection in both foreign military sales and security cooperation, a Defense Department official said.

Sept. 23, 2020

Kansas, Armenian military leaders join in SPP exchange

TOPEKA, Kansas — The command team from 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 137th Infantry Regiment, participated in a virtual State Partnership Program exchange Sept. 8-10 with students attending the Senior Leaders Course in the Republic of Armenia.

Sept. 22, 2020

ERDC partners with UK university for survivability research

VICKSBURG, Miss. — In a world of rapidly evolving threats, solving the military’s toughest challenges calls for collaboration, sometimes even between people across the globe. The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) and its blast and weapons effects experts, teamed up with another internationally recognized organization, the United Kingdom’s University of Sheffield, to take a closer look at a dangerous threat to Soldiers everywhere—explosions.

Sept. 22, 2020

U.S., Colombian Army Bilateral Staff Talks essential to interoperability, stability in Western Hemisphere

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas — Since 2009, the staff talks have been instrumental in enhancing the interoperability and cooperation between the two armies, which have contributed to increased stability in the region.

Sept. 22, 2020

U.S., Colombian Army Bilateral Staff Talks essential to interoperability, stability in Western Hemisphere

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas — Nine months ago Maj. Gen. Daniel R. Walrath, U.S. Army South commanding general, was in Colombia standing shoulder-to-shoulder next to Gen. Eduardo E. Zapateiro, Colombian National Army commanding general, at the conclusion of a foreign airborne jump wing exchange between paratroopers of both nations. On Sept. 18, the two generals were only able to greet each other virtually at the conclusion of the 11th U.S. – Colombia Bilateral Army Staff Talks. The goal during the staff talks was to develop a bilateral engagement plan with the Colombian Army, which continues to strengthen their relationship with the U.S. Army.

Sept. 18, 2020

Patriot delivery bolsters Romania and NATO alliance

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. — Romania has received its first shipment of the U.S. Patriot surface-to-air missile system.

Sept. 17, 2020

U.S. Government Boosts City of Manila’s Fight Against COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines — U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim today visited the Delpan Quarantine Facility in Tondo, Manila, to hand over 5,000 hygiene kits and 16 handwashing stations to Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno in support of the city government’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sept. 17, 2020

The U.S. Donates an Additional 400 Ventilators to Support Indonesia in the Fight Against Covid-19

JAKARTA, Indonesia — An additional 400 ventilators from the United States have arrived in Indonesia, completing the donation of 1,000 ventilators pledged by President Trump to President Joko Widodo. “This donation complements Indonesia’s ongoing efforts to combat COVID-19 and demonstrates the ongoing commitment of the United States to lead the global response to this

Sept. 16, 2020

HING, Indonesia hold slimmed-down Gema Bhakti SPP exercise

HONOLULU — Gema Bhakti 2020, a military planning exercise involving U.S. and Indonesian militaries under the National Guard State Partnership Program (SPP), was held via videoconference this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sept. 15, 2020

ERDC researchers participate in U.S. Army Foreign Technology (and Science) Assessment Support program

VICKSBURG, Miss. — Until engaging in conversation with colleagues while on temporary duty in the United Kingdom, Dr. Ahmad Tavakoly was not aware of the U.S. Army Foreign Technology (and Science) Assessment Support (FTAS) program. This summer, Tavakoly, a research civil engineer with the U.S. Army Engineer Research a Development Center’s (ERDC) Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL), and co-principal investigator Dr. Mark Wahl, also from CHL, completed the first ERDC project funded by the program.

Sept. 15, 2020

U.S. Army, Estonia sign historic agreement for collaborative research in cyber defense

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — The U.S. Army and the Republic of Estonia’s Ministry of Defence signed an agreement today that will enable the two countries to conduct future collaborative science and technology efforts in cyber defense.

Sept. 15, 2020

ERDC researchers participate in U.S. Army Foreign Technology (and Science) Assessment Support program

VICKSBURG, Miss. — Until engaging in conversation with colleagues while on temporary duty in the United Kingdom, Dr. Ahmad Tavakoly was not aware of the U.S. Army Foreign Technology (and Science) Assessment Support (FTAS) program. This summer, Tavakoly, a research civil engineer with the U.S. Army Engineer Research a Development Center’s (ERDC) Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL), and co-principal investigator Dr. Mark Wahl, also from CHL, completed the first ERDC project funded by the program.

Sept. 14, 2020

Japan Ground Self Defense Force Engineer School Visits Camp Zama

TOKYO — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Japan Ground Self Defense Force Engineer School continue to strengthen their bonds of partnership and share best military engineering practices.

Sept. 14, 2020

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Embassy-Tbilisi rebuilds Georgia School

TBILISI, Georgia — When school starts on Sept. 15, the nearly 270 students of the Kveshi School in Tbilisi, Georgia will return to school this fall with a renewed sense of excitement. The beginning of the 2020 academic marks the return to their newly renovated school.

Sept. 11, 2020

Intersessional Meeting of the U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue

WASHINGTON — Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Dean Thompson and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs David Helvey joined their Indian counterparts today for a virtual Intersessional Meeting of the U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.

Sept. 10, 2020

Leveraging Return on Investment: A Model for Joint Force Campaign Plan Assessments

WASHINGTON — On August 2, 2019, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper informed the military Services of a department-wide fiscal program review to better align the future joint force toward a near-peer threat environment, a process similar to the “night court” proceedings he held during his tenure as the Secretary of the Army. The directive memo states, “No reform is too small, too bold, or too controversial to be considered.”

Sept. 10, 2020

The "Politics" of Security Cooperation and Security Assistance

WASHINGTON — In 1955 a book titled The Politics of the Prussian Army, 1640–1945 was published; it would soon become a landmark study of civil-military relations. Gordon Craig’s unassuming tome became widely influential within and outside the civil-military relations field and spurred the publication of what has become a wide literature on the politics of armies (particularly those of the United Kingdom, Italy, Russia, and France) that takes a different approach to our conventional understanding of civil-military relations.

Sept. 10, 2020

Joint Task Force-Bravo’s Headquarters Support Company Gives Back

SOTO CANO AIR BASE, Honduras — U.S. servicemembers from the Army Forces Battalion Headquarters Support Company at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, delivered charitable donations to the Horizontes al Futuro Orphanage in Comayagua Honduras, Sept. 5, 2020.

Sept. 10, 2020

DSCA Encourages Partners to Look Beyond Gear to Multi-Domain Ops

WASHINGTON — When it comes to working with security partners, there's an effort now to focus on multi-domain operations to improve teamwork in regards to air operations, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency's new director said.

Sept. 10, 2020

Accelerating Military Innovation: Lessons from China and Israel

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military’s technological advantage is under threat. Since the end of the Cold War, the military has been largely occupied with relatively low-tech counterterrorism and counterinsurgency conflicts against non-peer adversaries. Much U.S. defense research and development (R&D) during that time focused on delivering incremental innovations to address capability gaps in existing systems and warfighting concepts. As a result, many of today’s frontline systems are upgraded versions of those used in the Gulf War almost 30 years ago.

Sept. 10, 2020

Structuring for Competition: Rethinking the Area of Responsibility Concept for Great Power Competition

WASHINGTON — Even if we can create and master new tools capable of dominating today’s battlespace, just having the best technology will not be enough: Winning conflicts today requires changes to the ways DOD organizes and employs forces. Ultimately, if the United States fails to take a comprehensive approach toward adapting to the challenges of the information age and adversarial competition, then we will cede our national security advantage.

Sept. 10, 2020

Strength through cooperation

FORT BELVOIR, Va. — The U.S. defense industry, together with U.S. military standards for testing and evaluation, provide materiel solutions that are sought after by militaries throughout the world. The demand for U.S. military materiel was enumerated in October 2019, when the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), which is responsible for the financial oversight and program management of foreign military sales (FMS), announced $55.4 billion in FMS during fiscal year 2019.

Sept. 9, 2020

U.S. Military Lands C130 on Newly Renovated Angaur Airfield in Palau

KOROR, Palau — A U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules delivered U.S. Army Pacific (USAPAC) Soldiers onto the newly renovated Angaur Airfield for training exercises in the Republic of Palau, Sept. 5.

Sept. 8, 2020

Security Force Assistance Brigade Soldiers Complete First Mission to Indo-Pacific

BANGKOK, Thailand — Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB) Soldiers wrapped up their first mission to the Indo-Pacific region Monday, despite hurdles presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sept. 8, 2020

Koa Moana 20 Integrates with Joint U.S. Team to Improve Angaur Airfield

ANGARU, Republic of Palau — The Engineer Platoon of Task Force (TF) Koa Moana (KM) 20, I Marine Expeditionary Force, integrated with a joint U.S. team for an expansion project at the Angaur Airfield in the state of Angaur, Republic of Palau, Aug. 19-26, 2020.