In the AFPS podcast for July 22: At talks in South Korea, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced a series of joint military exercises called Invincible Spirit; also in South Korea, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen met with U.S. servicemembers at Camp Red Cloud; in Afghanistan an international aid conference covered plans to hand over more responsibility for security to the Afghan government; a NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan immersion English language program called Thunder Lab is helping prepare pilots for the Afghan air force; in Washington, U.S. Forces, Iraq, Commander Army Gen. Ray Odierno updated reporters on the troop drawdown and progress being made by Iraqi security forces; a White House plan to crack down on illegal immigration and drug trafficking includes a temporary deployment of the National Guard to the southwest border; the top officer for U.S. Africa Command, Army Gen. Kip Ward explained the stabilizing impact of the AFRICOM mission; testimony on Capitol Hill highlighted efforts to prevent suicide among servicemembers and vets by removing the stigma of seeking mental health care; and details about the Oct. 25 launch of a revised MYCAA program that aims to help military spouses train for portable careers.
To listen to the podcast, click here.
