DOCSLIB.ORG

Legislative Affairs Roundup

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Legislative Affairs Roundup January 29, 2021 For Those Who Serve Advocate of the Month: January 2021 It is an honor to recognize the tireless dedication of our good friend James H. Offutt. A former National President of the Navy League, Jim has been a dedicated advocate for the sea services and a vital pillar of our Legislative Affairs initiatives. In addition to his role in guiding the overall direction of the Legislative Affairs Department, Jim has taken the lead in maintaining regular contact with our grassroots affiliates and our RVPs, ensuring the success of our campaigns, monitoring member of Congress outreach, and supervising overall grassroots initiatives. Jim is currently Co-Chair of the Navy League National Legislative Affairs Committee. He has served as National President of the Navy League from June 2013 to 2015. He was Chairman of the Navy League Foundation and prior to that for several years served as Chairman of the Maritime Policy and Resolutions Committee, spearheading the creation of the Navy League’s annual Maritime Policy. For his years of leadership and management, he was twice awarded the Secretary of the Navy’s Distinguished Public Service Award and the U.S. Coast Guard Distinguished Public Service Award. Mr. Offutt worked in industry as president of Rosslyn Group and National Capital Group, and Vice President of Vanguard Research, AC Technologies Inc., Alpha- insight and Titan Corporation. As president of Computer Reclamation Inc., he led a non-profit organization that provided IT solutions to schools, non-profit organizations and associations. During his U.S. Navy career, Mr. Offutt was a pilot and weapon systems acquisition manager. His tours included: the Missile Defense Agency; Commanding Officer, Office of Naval Research Western Region, Executive Assistant to OPNAV-12. As a pilot, he flew the S-2, A-6 and S-3 carrier-based aircraft, amassing 4,000 hours and 426 carrier landings. He participated in four Vietnam combat tours and flew 201 combat missions. He served as the initial Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization Model Manager for the development of the S-3 aircraft. His awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal (10) and Navy Commendation Medal (3). He retired as a Commander after 20 years of service. Mr. Offutt holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of LaVerne, California, a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of New Mexico and completed Engineering Studies at Pennsylvania State University. He earned a Chief Information Officer Certificate from the University of South Carolina. A Pittsburgh, Pa. native, he and his wife, Becky, reside in North Myrtle Beach SC and have two sons and three grandchildren. Washington Happenings Congress has confirmed Gen. Lloyd Austin as America’s first African- American Secretary of Defense. Austin enters the role at a time of domestic and international turbulence not seen in modern American history. Political divisions at home and great power competitors abroad will make his job one of the most difficult on the planet. Luckily, he has folks like you to guide him! Let’s make sure that the SecDef understands the vital role our sea services will play in the new threat environment of the 21st century. Together, we will keep American strong, safe, and prosperous. Additionally, President Biden has issued a number of Executive Orders in the past week and several have important implications for our military. President Biden reversed the previous administration’s ban on transgender servicemembers ensuring that all who wish to serve their nation (and meet the requirements) are able to do so. The President has also signed Executive Orders related to implementing a “Whole of Government” approach to distributing the COVID-19 vaccine which will likely include use of National Guard and Active Duty servicemembers. President Biden also ordered federal debt collection to be temporarily frozen for military veterans. And if that wasn’t enough, President Biden signed an Executive Order supporting Buy American provisions in which his administration emphasized their support for the Jones Act! What a week! A few thoughts from our team: When Your District Gives You Lemons It happens. The person elected to represent your district was not your first choice. Maybe you strongly disagree with them on some issues. Maybe you take issue with their choices, personality, or statements. Because of this, you want nothing to do with this representative. You don’t want to speak with them, meet with them, or be associated with them in any way. That is, of course, your right. But while you are in self-imposed political exile, that representative is making decisions and casting votes that affect you, your family, your community, and our beloved sea services. We do not have the option of choosing to not engage with these elected officials when they hold the power to make life and death decisions which will be felt for years to come. It is our job, and our duty, to remain vigilant. We must stay active even when disappointed, motivated even when demoralized, and attentive when we would prefer to be ignorant. These are our elected representatives, and they must answer to us. They must understand that our sea services provide the greatest source of American security and economic prosperity and that our nation’s future depends on robust and ready maritime forces. That is our job, and we do it for the brave men and women serving in those sea services as well as for our families, our communities, and the free peoples of the world that depend on American security to pursue their own life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. We understand that you might not be a big fan of your Congressperson. It happens. But the fight is bigger than them and we need you to stay in it. Maritime Policy- At a Glance Council Shout Out! We are always excited to see the latest headlines from our good friends in the Honolulu Council! Hawaii has always taken a lead role in fighting for the sea services and the current council is not slowing down that tradition one bit. Their latest annual council meeting included remarks by Rear Admiral Robb Chadwick and a presentation by the Sea Cadets! The full video can be viewed at the link below. Thank you Bill and all of the members of this crown jewel of the Navy League’s Pacific operations! Keep up the great work! https://navyleaguehonolulu.org/about/annual-meeting-2021.html Don’t forget to share your stories with us! Your stories are important and they matter to your representatives. Please connect with us here at the Navy League so that we can relay your stories to the representatives that can affect real change in support of our Sea Services. Tell your story here! Navy League Advocacy Updates Navy League Legislation Affairs Committee Members can view our updated Legislative Affairs Committee Page with all kinds of resources to support your grassroots advocacy! Support the Jones Act The Jones Act helps support nearly 650,000 jobs across America, with an annual economic impact of more than $150 billion. More importantly to the nation as a whole, the law provides important national, homeland, and economic security benefits. Additionally, the Jones Act plays a critical role in maintaining our Merchant Mariner force and sealift capacity. Both are foundational aspects of wartime transport and emergency resupply. When our nation went to war in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mariners from the U.S.-flag Jones Act and International trading fleets crewed the Reserve Fleet ships that answered the call to transport military equipment across the oceans to support our war effort. Only the U.S. Flag Merchant Marine and its Allies can be relied upon in our time of need, and the Jones Act ensures that those forces remain strong and ready for whatever dangers await our nation in the future. Sea Service Updates Former Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis took a few parting shots at his old boss while wishing well to the new SecDef Lloyd Austin. Mattis hoped that Austin would not face a similar situation in terms of dealing with his boss, and also hoped that Austin would not encounter the “strategy-free” environment of the previous White House. In addition to these attention-grabbing comments, Mattis made clear his faith and confidence in Austin and wished him well in his new role. Additionally, Navy acquisition chief and friend of the Navy League, James Geurts, will be leaving the Pentagon. Geurts served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition. As such, he oversaw the difficult and burdensome task of upgrading the Navy’s innovation capacity, its small business interactions, and its “tech bridges” for greater public-private collaboration. We can only hope that his replacement is as capable. WASHINGTON (Jan. 23, 2021) Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III poses for his official portrait in the Army portrait studio at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., Jan 23, 2020.(U.S. Army photo by Spc. XaViera Masline) Sea Service News The State of the Sea Services Top Navy Intel Officer Hopes China Will Keep Dumping Money Into Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile – The Drive / Jan 29 The U.S. Navy's top intelligence officer has said the service is watching closely as China expands its anti-ship missile capabilities, particularly in and around the disputed South China Sea, to include the ongoing development of long-range anti- ship ballistic missiles. At the same time, he said he "hopes" that China's People's Liberation Army will continue to invest significant resources into these efforts, hinting that the U.S.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Position of Secretary of Defense: Statutory Restrictions and Civilian-Military Relations
    The Position of Secretary of Defense: Statutory Restrictions and Civilian-Military Relations Updated January 6, 2021 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R44725 Position of Secretary of Defense: Statutory Restrictions and Civilian-Military Relations Summary The position of Secretary of Defense is unique within the United States government; it is one of two civilian positions within the military chain of command, although unlike the President, the Secretary of Defense is not elected. Section 113 of the United States Code states that the Secretary of Defense is to be “appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.” The section goes on to elaborate a key mechanism by which civilian control of the armed forces is maintained: A person may not be appointed as Secretary of Defense within seven years after relief from active duty as a commissioned officer of a regular component of an armed force. The proposed nomination of General (Ret.) Lloyd Austin, United States Army, who retired from the military in 2016, to be Secretary of Defense may lead both houses of Congress to consider whether and how to suspend, change, or remove that provision. This provision was originally contained in the 1947 National Security Act (P.L. 80-253), which mandated that 10 years pass between the time an officer is relieved from active duty and when he or she could be appointed to the office of the Secretary of Defense. In 2007, Section 903 of the FY2008 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 110-181), Congress changed the period of time that must elapse between relief from active duty and appointment to the position of Secretary of Defense to seven years.
    [Show full text]
  • EXECUTIVE INSIGHT BRIEF - March 3, 2017 Date: Monday, March 06, 2017 9:20:37 AM
    From: Craig Quigley To: Craig Quigley Subject: EXECUTIVE INSIGHT BRIEF - March 3, 2017 Date: Monday, March 06, 2017 9:20:37 AM Ladies & Gentlemen, below please find this week’s edition of Executive Insight Brief from The Roosevelt Group. Craig R. Quigley Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.) Executive Director Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance 757-644-6324 (Office) 757-419-1164 (Cell) EXECUTIVE INSIGHT BRIEF | March 3, 2017 TOP STORIES JEFF SESSIONS RECUSES HIMSELF FROM RUSSIA INQUIRY. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, facing a storm of criticism over newly disclosed contacts with the Russian ambassador to the United States, recused himself on Thursday from any investigation into charges that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election. Read more ISIS DUMPED BODIES IN A DESERT SINKHOLE. IT MAY BE YEARS BEFORE WE KNOW THE FULL SCALE OF THE KILLINGS. The horror stories about the Islamic State’s mass killings at a cavernous hole in the desert near Mosul became legendary over the years. Soon after the group took control of the Iraqi city more than 2½ years ago, the 100-foot-wide sinkhole five miles southwest of the airport became a site for summary executions. Read more TRUMP’S DEFENSE SPENDING INCREASE ISN’T EXTRAORDINARY, BUT ITS IMPACT COULD BE. On Monday, the White House announced the first few details of President Trump’s budget proposal, expected to be released within the next month. He plans to increase defense spending by $54 billion — about 10 percent of its 2017 budget. In his joint address to Congress Tuesday night, he falsely called it “one of the largest increases in national defense spending in American history.” Read more KIM JONG-NAM KILLING: N KOREAN SUSPECT TO BE DEPORTED.
    [Show full text]
  • Global Mattis: the New Secretary of Defense
    GLOBAL MATTIS: THE NEW SECRETARY OF DEFENSE Brendan Thomas-Noone January 2017 ALLIANCE BRIEF The nomination of General James N. Mattis to the position of Secretary of Defense in the Trump Administration is a reassuring sign for many allies of the United States, as well as those who are supportive of a continuing US commitment to a rules-based liberal world order. Mattis, a career combat military officer who previously held senior command positions within NATO and retired as the head of US Central Command (CENTCOM) in 2013, has expressed strong support for US engagement in the world, reaffirmed commitment to US allies and has talked about the need to confront nations that are attempting to revise established international law and norms. For as long as Mattis is in the Trump Administration, it is likely he will be a stabilising voice and an advocate for US allies like Australia. Committed to US engagement and the global rules-based order Since retiring from military service General Mattis has ‘You could have turned your back on Europe after two been a consistent advocate for US engagement in world wars… Instead the American presidents [say]… the world and has shown support for the international we are going to commit 100 million dead Americans rules-based order as well as confronting revisionist and our nuclear war to keep Western Europe safe.’”3 To powers. This is nominally a positive sign for Australia, understand how much this commitment meant to US which has based much of its national security planning allies, and the example it provided, Mattis stated that on sustained levels of US presence in the region, and “you have to look at it through a non-American’s eyes”.
    [Show full text]
  • The Oregonian 13 Times Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler Threw Shade At
    The Oregonian 13 times Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler threw shade at President Trump on Twitter By Jessica Floum October 9, 2017 It's no secret that Portland's politics lean left, so it should come as no surprise that Mayor Ted Wheeler has publicly disagreed with President Trump on many issues. Since the two politicians started their new positions in January, the Rose City's mayor has taken to Twitter to directly -- and sometimes more subtly -- rebuke the president's actions. 1. When Trump lashed out at a Puerto Rican mayor after a hurricane killed her people Hard to imagine, but we could be on our own after a disaster. Good thing we are planning at the local and regional level. https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/914087234869047296 … President Trump on Saturday attacked San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz for "poor leadership" in a Tweet from a New Jersey golf club. She had criticized his him for his positive portrayal of the slow federal response to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria thrashed the island and killed more than 15 people. Wheeler was not amused. 2. When Attorney General Jeff Sessions visited Portland I am not meeting with AG Sessions today, but I did send along this letter. https://www.portlandoregon.gov/wheeler/article/655883 … When Attorney General Jeff Sessions came to town, Wheeler wrote him a welcome letter calling the attorney general's attention to how well Portland's culture and economy is doing and telling him to take his administration's immigration policies and threats to withhold funds from sanctuary cities back to D.C.
    [Show full text]
  • U.S. Central Command Change of Command- Page 10
    Vol. 41, No. 13 Thursday, March 28, 2013 U.S. Central Command change of command - page 10 Photo by Senior Airman Melanie Bulow-Kelly Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin, III, incoming commander of U.S. Central Command (center), shakes hands with Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis, outgoing commander, during the change of command ceremony at MacDill Air Force Base Friday. Mattis will retire later this year after more than 40 years of service. To their left is Army General Martin E. Dempsey, 18th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. COMMANDER’S CORNER My ‘C-’ in Ethics 101 explained — this stuff really is important by Lt. Col. Ira Perkins can the gut instinct of personal ethics be in such apparent conflict with 21st Space Wing Staff Judge Advocate the rules of government ethics? Simply put, personal ethics and government ethics are different PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. — My worst college grade creatures in both origin and purpose. Personal ethics are about human was in ethics. Axiological ethics, deontological ethics, morals versus relationships and aim to make us better people and as such, they are values — it all seemed kind of mushy to me. After receiving my “C-,” I the kind of rules we tend to learn in kindergarten (be charitable, help skeptically reduced my personal ethics into a simple formula: if it feels your neighbor). Government ethics, on the other hand, exist only to en- good in my gut and doesn’t harm anybody else, it’s probably OK. sure that the public can trust government employees to put the nation’s Clearly, there are caveats to such a general principle, but when I lec- interest ahead of their own selfish interests.
    [Show full text]
  • Trump's Generals
    STRATEGIC STUDIES QUARTERLY - PERSPECTIVE Trump’s Generals: A Natural Experiment in Civil-Military Relations JAMES JOYNER Abstract President Donald Trump’s filling of numerous top policy positions with active and retired officers he called “my generals” generated fears of mili- tarization of foreign policy, loss of civilian control of the military, and politicization of the military—yet also hope that they might restrain his worst impulses. Because the generals were all gone by the halfway mark of his administration, we have a natural experiment that allows us to com- pare a Trump presidency with and without retired generals serving as “adults in the room.” None of the dire predictions turned out to be quite true. While Trump repeatedly flirted with civil- military crises, they were not significantly amplified or deterred by the presence of retired generals in key roles. Further, the pattern continued in the second half of the ad- ministration when “true” civilians filled these billets. Whether longer-term damage was done, however, remains unresolved. ***** he presidency of Donald Trump served as a natural experiment, testing many of the long- debated precepts of the civil-military relations (CMR) literature. His postelection interviewing of Tmore than a half dozen recently retired four- star officers for senior posts in his administration unleashed a torrent of columns pointing to the dangers of further militarization of US foreign policy and damage to the military as a nonpartisan institution. At the same time, many argued that these men were uniquely qualified to rein in Trump’s worst pro- clivities. With Trump’s tenure over, we can begin to evaluate these claims.
    [Show full text]
  • Supplemental Statement Washington, DC 20530 Pursuant to the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, As Amended
    Received by NSD/FARA Registration Unit 05/11 /2018 4:10:50 PM OMB No 1124-0002; Expires May 31,2020 ' I.S. Department of Justice Supplemental Statement Washington, DC 20530 Pursuant to the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended For Six Month Period Ending 3/31/18 (Insert date) I-REGISTRANT 1. (a) Name of Registrant (b) Registration No. The Livingston Group, LLC #6344 (c) Business Address(es) of Registrant 499 S. Capitol Street, SW, Suite 600 Washington, DC 20003 2. Has there been a change in the information previously furnished in connection with the following? (a) If an individual: (1) Residence address(es) Yes □ No □ (2) Citizenship Yes □ No □ (3) Occupation Yes □ No □ (b) If an organization: (1) Name Yes Q No H (2) Ownership or control Yes Q No 0 (3) Branch offices Yes □ No 0 (c) Explain fully all changes, if any, indicated in Items (a) and (b) above. IF THE REGISTRANT IS AN INDIVIDUAL, OMIT RESPONSE TO ITEMS 3,4, AND 5(a), 3. If you have previously filed Exhibit C*1, state whether any changes therein have occurred during this 6 month reporting period. Yes □ No S If yes, have you filed an amendment to the Exhibit C? Yes □ No □ If no, please attach the required amendment. 1 The Exhibit C, for which no printed form is provided, consists of a true'copy of the charter, articles of incorporation, association, and by laws of a registrant that is an organization. (A waiver of the requirement to file an Exhibit C may be obtained for good cause upon written application to the Assistant Attorney General, National Security Division, US.
    [Show full text]
  • “All Take, No Give” Won't Work with North Korea
    “All Take, No Give” Won’t Work with North Korea By: Leon V. Sigal 38 North August 29, 2018 It’s called diplomatic give-and-take for a reason. The United States cannot get some of what it wants without giving North Korea some of what it wants. Yet that is precisely what Washington has been trying to do—and predictably getting nowhere, as President Trump acknowledged by postponing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s latest mission to Pyongyang. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis tried to increase pressure on the North by announcing, “We have no plans at this time to suspend any more exercises.” While he clarified that no decision had yet been made, he also noted, “We are going to see how the negotiations go, and then we will calculate the future, how we go forward.” Washington is insisting that Pyongyang fulfill its commitment at the Singapore Summit to “work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” without addressing its own commitments at that summit “to establish new U.S.-DPRK relations,” and “to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean peninsula.” Policymakers opposed to negotiations have disclosed intelligence that North Korea is continuing to produce fissile material and missiles, as if it is obliged to stop without any deal. While the Trump administration demanded that the North move first, reportedly by providing a complete inventory of its nuclear material and production facilities, the North countered with the demand that Washington join South Korea in declaring an end to the Korean War. The declaration would commit to initiating a peace process that would include military confidence building measures to reduce the risk of deadly clashes in the contested waters of the West (Yellow) Sea and the Demilitarized Zone and culminate in a formal peace treaty.
    [Show full text]
  • Fearing Korean Nuclear War, Women of 40 Nations Urge Trump to Seek Peace Choe Sang-Hun the New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/26/world/asia/north-korea-trump-nuclear-war.html?smid=fb- share&_r=2 Fearing Korean Nuclear War, Women of 40 Nations Urge Trump to Seek Peace Choe Sang-Hun The New York Times SEOUL, South Korea — As the White House prepared to brief members of the Senate on North Korea on Wednesday, female activists from more than 40 countries, including North and South Korea, urged President Trump to defuse military tensions and start negotiating for peace to prevent war from erupting on the Korean Peninsula. They said they feared that the rapidly escalating tensions on the peninsula, if left unchecked, could engulf the region in nuclear war. “We are united by our belief that diplomacy is the only way to resolve the nuclear crisis and threat of war now facing the Korean Peninsula,” said their letter to Mr. Trump, dated Wednesday. “Peace is the most powerful deterrent of all.” A copy of the letter, signed by hundreds of female leaders, was made available in advance. It was also being sent to several senators who visited the White House for the briefing, said Christine Ahn, international coordinator for Women Cross DMZ, a group of female peace activists that helped organize the letter campaign. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis briefed the entire Senate at the White House on North Korea. The briefing also included Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, and Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The briefing comes as the United States and its allies South Korea and Japan step up their military readiness amid signs the North is getting ready to test a nuclear device despite warnings by the United States and others not to do so.
    [Show full text]
  • The Micromanagement Myth and Mission Command: Making the Case for Oversight of Military Operations by Christopher J
    STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVES 33 The Micromanagement Myth and Mission Command: Making the Case for Oversight of Military Operations by Christopher J. Lamb Center for Strategic Research Institute for National Strategic Studies National Defense University Institute for National Strategic Studies National Defense University The Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS) is National Defense University’s (NDU’s) dedicated research arm. INSS includes the Center for Strategic Research, Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs, and Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction. The military and civilian analysts and staff who comprise INSS and its subcomponents execute their mission by conducting research and analysis, publishing, and participating in conferences, policy support, and outreach. The mission of INSS is to conduct strategic studies for the Secretary of Defense, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the unified combatant commands in support of the academic programs at NDU and to perform outreach to other U.S. Government agencies and the broader national security community. Cover: General William Westmoreland luncheon meeting with President Lyndon B. Johnson, The White House, April 6, 1968 (Yoichi Okamoto/ Courtesy LBJ Presidential Library/C9391-17A) The Micromanagement Myth and Mission Command The Micromanagement Myth and Mission Command: Making the Case for Oversight of Military Operations By Christopher J. Lamb Institute for National Strategic Studies Strategic Perspectives, No. 33 Series Editor: Thomas F. Lynch III National Defense University Press Washington, D.C. August 2020 Opinions, conclusions, and recommendations expressed or implied within are solely those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of the State Department, Defense Department, or any other agency of the Federal Government.
    [Show full text]
  • September 9, 2019 Retired General and Defense Secretary James Mattis Will Join the Cohen Group Washington, DC
    September 9, 2019 Retired General and Defense Secretary James Mattis will join The Cohen Group Washington, D.C. -- General James Mattis will join The Cohen Group as a Senior Counselor in October, the firm announced today. “Jim Mattis is a national treasure, a leader known throughout the world for his strategic judgment as well as his unyielding principles,” said former Defense Secretary Bill Cohen, Chairman of The Cohen Group. “He is a Marine, a student of history, a scholar and teacher, and a public servant in the truest sense of the term. We are honored to be working with him, and our clients will benefit from his knowledge and guidance.” General Mattis served as the U.S. Secretary of Defense from January 2017 to December 2018. He commanded troops at all levels during his 43- year career as an infantry Marine, retiring in 2013. His major command assignments included U.S. Joint Forces Command and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation. As the head of the U.S. Central Command, he directed military operations of more than 200,000 military personnel across 20 countries from Northeast Africa across the Middle East to Central and South Asia. Secretary Cohen and General Mattis began working together in 1997 when General Mattis was a Colonel serving as the Executive Secretary in the front office at the Pentagon. When his nomination as Defense Secretary was announced in December 2016, the late Senator John McCain said, “Jim Mattis is without a doubt one of the finest military officers of his generation and an extraordinary leader who inspires a rare and special admiration in his troops.” In addition to his work with The Cohen Group, General Mattis is the Davies Family Distinguished Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, a member of the Board of Directors of General Dynamics, and a member of the Board of the Tri-Cities Food Bank in his hometown of Richland, Washington.
    [Show full text]
  • Ausaextra December 10.Indd
    PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 2 NUMBER 32 DECEMBER 10, 2020 Review Prompts Safety Improvements 3 Army Reserve CSM Speaks at AUSA Event 4 Government Affairs Defense Legislation Progresses 6 Chapter Highlight Retired Gen. Lloyd Austin presents the General Colin L. Powell Lecture for students of the 2019 Greater Los Angeles Command and General Staff Officers’ Course at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. (U.S. ARMY PHOTO) 7 Austin nominated for defense secretary retired Army four-star general require a congressional waiver be- Biden wrote. is President-elect Joe Biden’s cause the National Security Act of “He played a crucial role in bring- A choice to become his secretary 1947, last modified in 2008, requires ing 150,000 American troops home of defense, a historic selection because a minimum seven-year gap between from the theater of war. Pulling that Gen. Lloyd Austin would be only the active-duty service and an appoint- off took more than just the skill and third retired general officer to serve ment to be defense secretary. strategy of a seasoned soldier. It re- in the post and the first Black person A waiver was granted in 2017 allow- quired Austin to practice diplomacy, to lead DoD. ing retired Marine Gen. Jim Mattis to building relationships with our Iraqi The 67-year-old Austin retired serve as defense secretary. A waiver counterparts and with our partners from the Army in 2016 after rising was also required in 1950 for General in the region. He served as a states- to serve as the 33rd Army vice chief of the Army George Marshall.
    [Show full text]