Patrick Shanahan

Esper Officially Nominated Lead Pentagon; SECNAV Spencer Now Acting SECDEF

Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Richard V. Spencer walks into his office at the Pentagon following the announcement of the nomination of Secretary of the Army Dr. Mark T. Esper to Secretary of Defense by President Donald J. Trump on July 15, 2019 DoD photo.

Acting Secretary of Defense Mark Esper was officially nominated Monday afternoon to assume the role permanently, setting off a chain reaction of position shifts inside the Pentagon’s civilian leadership.

Now that the Senate is considering his...

https://news.usni.org/2019/07/15/esper-officially-nominated-lead-pentagon-secnav-spencer-now-acting-secdef

Acting SECDEF Esper’s First Message to Pentagon

The following is Acting Secretary of Defense Mark Esper’s first message to the U.S. military and Pentagon civilians.

MEMORANDUM FOR ALL DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EMPLOYEES
SUBJECT: Initial Message to the Department

It is the honor and privilege of a lifetime to serve alongside you as the Acting Secretary of Defense.

Since rejoining the Department nearly two years ago as the Secretary of the Army, my confidence in the incredible skill, professionalism, and commitment of our military and civilian...

https://news.usni.org/2019/06/24/acting-secdef-espers-first-message-to-pentagon

Hospital Ship USNS Comfort Departs for SOUTHCOM Deployment

USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) is anchored off the coast of Honduras as part of an 11-week medical support mission to Central and South America as part of U.S. Southern Command’s Enduring Promise initiative on Dec. 6, 2018. US Navy Photo

USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) departed Naval Station Norfolk,Va., for a five-month deployment to provide medical assistance to the Caribbean and South America on Friday.

Comfort is scheduled to visit several nations, but the primary mission of this deployment is to provide...

https://news.usni.org/2019/06/14/hospital-ship-usns-comfort-departs-for-southcom-deployment

Acting SECDEF Shanahan Reminds Pentagon to Stay Apolitical Following ‘McCain Situation’

Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, meets Col. William Betts, 51st Fighter Wing commander, at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, June 2, 2019. US Air Force Photo

The acting head of the Pentagon reminded active duty military and Defense Department civilians of the “apolitical nature of military service and professionalism,” according to two memos reviewed by USNI News.

“DoD has a long-standing policy of encouraging military personnel to carry out the obligations of citizenship, which...

https://news.usni.org/2019/06/11/acting-secdef-shanahan-reminds-pentagon-to-stay-apolitical-following-mccain-situation

Shangri-La: Chinese Defense Minister Talks Tough on South China Sea, Taiwan

China’s Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe on June 2, 2019. USNI News Photo

SINGAPORE — China’s Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe struck an uncompromising tone on Taiwan and the South China Sea in his Sunday speech IISS Shangri La Dialogue.

“If anyone dared to split Taiwan from China, the Chinese military has no choice but to fight at all costs to preserve national unity” and defending China’s militarization of disputed territories in the South China Sea as “ the legitimate rights of a...

https://news.usni.org/2019/06/02/shangri-la-chinese-defense-minister-talks-tough-on-south-china-sea-taiwan

Shangri-La: Shanahan Stresses Continued U.S. Role in Indo-Pacific

U.S. Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan arrives in Singapore on May 30, 2019. DoD Photo

SINGAPORE – Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan stressed the U.S. commitment to the Indo-Pacific region and highlighted key messages from the Pentagon’s new Indo-Pacific Strategy Report in a Saturday speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue.

Shanahan’s speech mirrored past defense secretary Shangri-La addresses from former SECDEFs Ash Carter and James Mattis in which the United States points out...

https://news.usni.org/2019/06/01/shangri-la-shanahan-stresses-continued-u-s-role-in-indo-pacific

The Department of Defense’s New Indo-Pacific Strategy

The following is The Department of Defense Indo-Pacific Strategy Report, released on June 1, 2019.

From the report

The Indo-Pacific is the Department of Defense’s priority theater. The United States is a Pacific nation; we are linked to our Indo-Pacific neighbors through unbreakable bonds of shared history, culture, commerce, and values. We have an enduring commitment to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific in which all nations, large and small, are secure in their sovereignty and able to pursue...

https://news.usni.org/2019/05/31/the-department-of-defenses-new-indo-pacific-strategy

Shanahan Tells US Naval Academy’s Class of 2019 to Challenge the Status Quo

Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. on May 7, 2019. DoD Photo

Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan told the U.S. Naval Academy graduating class of 2019 to challenge the status quo, look for the hard jobs in their careers and not fear failure.

Citing the Samurai culture in feudal Japan, Shanahan said the most feared and dangerous of all the Samurai were those who were cut by an opponent’s sword but lived to fight another day.

“Why?...

https://news.usni.org/2019/05/24/shanahan-tells-us-naval-academys-class-of-2019-to-challenge-the-status-quo

USS Arlington, Patriot Missiles to Join Lincoln Carrier Strike Group in Middle East

USS Arlington (LPD-24) transits the Mediterranean Sea on Feb. 1, 2019. US Navy Photo

The Pentagon is sending amphibious warship USS Arlington (LPD-24) and elements of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit to join the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group as a hedge against Iran, according to a Friday Pentagon statement.

“USS Arlington is a San Antonio-class ship that transports U.S. Marines, amphibious vehicles, conventional landing craft and rotary aircraft with the capability to support amphibious...

https://news.usni.org/2019/05/10/uss-arlington-patriot-missiles-to-join-lincoln-carrier-strike-group-in-middle-east

White House: Patrick Shanahan Will be Nominated to Become SECDEF

Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan meets with Colombian Vice President Marta Lucía Ramírez at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. on May 7, 2019. DoD Photo

Former Boeing executive Patrick Shanahan will be nominated by President Donald J. Trump on Thursday to become the permanent secretary of defense, a position he’s held on an acting basis since the start of the year.

Shanahan had been deputy secretary of defense until his predecessor James Mattis announced his intention to resign....

https://news.usni.org/2019/05/09/shanahan-formally-nominated-to-become-secdef

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