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.
The following is Acting Secretary of Defense Mark Esper’s first message to the U.S. military and Pentagon civilians. Read More
Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan meets with Portuguese Minister of Defense João Titternigton Gomes Cravinho at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. on June 14, 2019. DoD Photo
This post has been updated with a statement from Patrick Shanahan said.
Patrick Shanahan is stepping down as acting U.S. defense secretary and is no longer in contention to lead the Pentagon, according to a series of Tuesday tweets from President Trump. Read More
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. Read More
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. Read More
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. Read More
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. Read More
The following is The Department of Defense Indo-Pacific Strategy Report, released on June 1, 2019. Read More
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.
USS Arlington (LPD-24) transits the Mediterranean Sea on Feb. 1, 2019. US Navy Photo
This post has been updated with new information on the position of USS Arlington The amphibious warship is currently in 6th Fleet and not currently in 5th Fleet.
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. Read More
