11 April 2022 USS Ashland, USS Miguel Keith Participate in Balikatan 2022 MANILA, Philippines -- The Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) and the Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary sea base USS Miguel Keith (ESB 5) participated in the Philippine-led exercise Balikatan March 28 to April 8.Balikatan featured field and maritime training events...
08 April 2022 U.S. and Philippines Successfully Conclude 37th Balikatan CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City -- Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the U.S. military gathered here today to celebrate the successful completion of Balikatan 2022, the 37th iteration of the annual bilateral exercise.Over the last two weeks, nearly 9,000 exercise participants from...
08 April 2022 U.S. - India to Conduct 2+2 Ministerial WASHINGTON -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will welcome Indian Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh and Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar for the fourth U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in Washington, D.C., April 11.This year’s 2+2...
08 April 2022 USS Frank Cable Departs Sydney SYDNEY, Australia -- The Emory S. Land-class submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40) departed Sydney, Australia, April 6.Sydney was Frank Cable’s second port visit since departing her homeport of Guam, March 1, 2022. Frank Cable and her crew of nearly 500 Sailors and Military Sealift Command civil...
08 April 2022 Zama JROTC Cadets Learn about Army Aviation Mission, Take Black Hawk Flight CAMP ZAMA Japan -- Cadets from Zama Middle High School’s (ZMHS) Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps battalion visited the U.S. Army Aviation Battalion Japan (USABBJ) here April 7 to learn from the Soldiers as part of their Cadet Leadership Challenge.As part of the day’s event, the cadets also...
08 April 2022 Austin Lays Out Reasoning Behind DOD Budget Request WASHINGTON -- At $773 billion, the fiscal 2023 Defense Budget Request is huge, but that doesn't mean that painful choices are not necessary, defense leaders told the Senate Armed Services Committee today.A case in point is divestiture of capabilities no longer needed as the National Defense Strategy...
08 April 2022 The U.S. Announces Plan to Provide Additional $7 Million for Demining Assistance to Sri Lanka COLOMBO, U.S. Embassy in Sri Lank -- A delegation from the U.S. Department of State visited Sri Lanka from April 3-8, 2022, to review U.S.-funded demining projects in Kilinochchi, Jaffna, Vavuniya, and Muhamalai. The United States contributed $8.3 million to demining efforts in Sri Lanka in 2021,...
07 April 2022 USS America Holds Change of Command SASEBO, Japan -- Capt. Ken Ward, sixth commanding officer of the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed amphibious assault ship, USS America (LHA 6), turned over command to Capt. Shockey Snyder in a ceremony aboard America, April 7.The ceremony was held on the ship’s flight deck, with Capt. Greg Baker,...
07 April 2022 Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Abdul Momen Before Their Meeting U.S. Embassy in Bangladesh -- SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good afternoon, everyone. It’s a pleasure to have Foreign Minister Momen here and to be able to work together on strengthening more the partnership between the United States and Bangladesh. We are in fact celebrating 50 years of diplomatic...
07 April 2022 Commander, MARFORPAC, Visits Key Component of the Pacific Marine Corps DARWIN, AUSTRALIA. -- Lieutenant General Steven Rudder, Commander of Marine Corps Forces Pacific (MARFORPAC), visited the Marine Rotational Force-Darwin (MRF-D) and the Australian Northern Command on March 25.“Two-thirds of the Fleet Marine Force operates within the Indo-Pacific, and MRF-D is a...
11 April 2022 USS Ashland, USS Miguel Keith Participate in Balikatan 2022 MANILA, Philippines -- The Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) and the Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary sea base USS Miguel Keith (ESB 5) participated in the Philippine-led exercise Balikatan March 28 to April 8.Balikatan featured field and maritime training events...
08 April 2022 U.S. and Philippines Successfully Conclude 37th Balikatan CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City -- Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the U.S. military gathered here today to celebrate the successful completion of Balikatan 2022, the 37th iteration of the annual bilateral exercise.Over the last two weeks, nearly 9,000 exercise participants from...
08 April 2022 U.S. - India to Conduct 2+2 Ministerial WASHINGTON -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will welcome Indian Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh and Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar for the fourth U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in Washington, D.C., April 11.This year’s 2+2...
08 April 2022 USS Frank Cable Departs Sydney SYDNEY, Australia -- The Emory S. Land-class submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40) departed Sydney, Australia, April 6.Sydney was Frank Cable’s second port visit since departing her homeport of Guam, March 1, 2022. Frank Cable and her crew of nearly 500 Sailors and Military Sealift Command civil...
08 April 2022 Zama JROTC Cadets Learn about Army Aviation Mission, Take Black Hawk Flight CAMP ZAMA Japan -- Cadets from Zama Middle High School’s (ZMHS) Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps battalion visited the U.S. Army Aviation Battalion Japan (USABBJ) here April 7 to learn from the Soldiers as part of their Cadet Leadership Challenge.As part of the day’s event, the cadets also...
08 April 2022 Austin Lays Out Reasoning Behind DOD Budget Request WASHINGTON -- At $773 billion, the fiscal 2023 Defense Budget Request is huge, but that doesn't mean that painful choices are not necessary, defense leaders told the Senate Armed Services Committee today.A case in point is divestiture of capabilities no longer needed as the National Defense Strategy...
08 April 2022 The U.S. Announces Plan to Provide Additional $7 Million for Demining Assistance to Sri Lanka COLOMBO, U.S. Embassy in Sri Lank -- A delegation from the U.S. Department of State visited Sri Lanka from April 3-8, 2022, to review U.S.-funded demining projects in Kilinochchi, Jaffna, Vavuniya, and Muhamalai. The United States contributed $8.3 million to demining efforts in Sri Lanka in 2021,...
07 April 2022 USS America Holds Change of Command SASEBO, Japan -- Capt. Ken Ward, sixth commanding officer of the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed amphibious assault ship, USS America (LHA 6), turned over command to Capt. Shockey Snyder in a ceremony aboard America, April 7.The ceremony was held on the ship’s flight deck, with Capt. Greg Baker,...
07 April 2022 Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Abdul Momen Before Their Meeting U.S. Embassy in Bangladesh -- SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good afternoon, everyone. It’s a pleasure to have Foreign Minister Momen here and to be able to work together on strengthening more the partnership between the United States and Bangladesh. We are in fact celebrating 50 years of diplomatic...
07 April 2022 Commander, MARFORPAC, Visits Key Component of the Pacific Marine Corps DARWIN, AUSTRALIA. -- Lieutenant General Steven Rudder, Commander of Marine Corps Forces Pacific (MARFORPAC), visited the Marine Rotational Force-Darwin (MRF-D) and the Australian Northern Command on March 25.“Two-thirds of the Fleet Marine Force operates within the Indo-Pacific, and MRF-D is a...