Leon Panetta Confirmed as Defense Secretary

Filed under DoD News by on June 22, 2011 at 2:59 pm {no comments}



Yesterday, the U.S. Senate voted unanimously to confirm CIA Director Leon E. Panetta as the next Secretary of Defense.

Panetta told  the Senate Armed Services Committee his primary mission as defense secretary would be to make sure the U.S. has the “best-trained, the best-equipped and the strongest military in the world” to protect the country. After the June 9 hearing, Panetta received widespread support throughout the Senate.

President Barack Obama nominated him earlier this year to replace outgoing Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates. Panetta is a former congressman from California who has worked in government for four decades, including as budget director for the Clinton administration.

Panetta praised Gates’ work as defense secretary, calling him “one of the greatest secretaries of defense in our nation’s history.” He said he would continue with initiatives Gates has put in place.

Obama has nominated Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, to replace Panetta as CIA director.

Read the Defense.gov article here.

Pentagon Channel Streams Leon Panetta Hearings LIVE June 9

Filed under DoD News by on June 9, 2011 at 6:00 am {no comments}

CIA Director and SECDEF nominee Leon Panetta

The Pentagon Channel will carry Senate Armed Services Committee hearings to confirm Leon Panetta for the Secretary of Defense LIVE Thursday, June 9 at 9:30 a.m. Visit The Pentagon Channel on the web for updates on coverage and to stream the hearings live.

Officials Testifying on ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

Filed under DoD News by on December 2, 2010 at 3:53 pm {no comments}

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen, and other Pentagon officials testified Dec. 2 before the Senate Armed Services Committee on repealing the 1993 “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law that bans gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military.

Testimonies will continue tomorrow and will include the heads of each service. Under legislation approved by the House of Representatives, repeal of the law would not occur until the president, Secretary of Defense, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs certify that lifting the ban would not harm military readiness.

To learn more, visit the AFPS special here.



DODVclips

Episode #26: Weekly AFPS News Roundup for March 18

Filed under DoD News by on March 18, 2010 at 1:44 pm {no comments}

AFPSpodcast In this edition of the AFPS podcast, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command, updates the Senate Armed Services Committee on Iraq, Afghanistan, the Middle East and cyberspace; servicemembers support flood operations in N. Dakota; the relief mission in Haiti winds down and transitions to support for long term recovery; the director of the organization tasked with countering improvised explosive devices, JIEDDO, offers insights into the latest strategies; defense officials take measures to control costs and speed production of F35 joint strike fighters; and, an expert tax advisor says large tax refunds indicate the need to reconsider paycheck withholdings.

To listen to the audio podcast, click here.

Recent Comments

DoDLive on Tumblr

  • photo from Tumblr

    An United States Air Force C-130J Hercules cargo aircraft from the 146th Airlift Wing, California Air National Guard, conducts flare training off the Ventura County coast. The flares are used as tactical infrared countermeasures to confuse and redirect heat-seeking missiles.

    (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Dave Buttner)


  • photo from Tumblr

    Famed Yankees pitcher “Lefty Gomez” once remarked “I’d rather be lucky than good,” but for one Tuskegee Airman, luck and good combined to make him one of the most successful combat pilots of World War II.

    During the summer of 1944, 2nd Lt. Clarence D. “Lucky” Lester was flying the P-51 Mustang over the skies of Italy’s Po Valley providing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers with cover support on their way to attack airfields in southern Germany.

    Lester was assigned to the 100th Fighter Squadron, a part of the 332nd Fighter Group, and had earned the nickname “Lucky” “because of all the tight situations from which I had escaped without a scratch or even a bullet hole in my aircraft.”

    Read the story of a flight that helped Lester earn his nickname here.


  • photo from Tumblr

    The only African-American ace of World War II, and a former Tuskegee Airman, went on to have a career in the Air Force, as well as success in the business world.

    Lee A. Archer joined the Army in 1941 with high hopes of becoming a pilot, but was initially denied because of his race. When the Army’s policy changed about a year later, Archer was accepted to the training program for black aviators at the Tuskegee Army Airfield in Alabama.

    Archer is best known for a day in late 1944 when he was involved in a series of dogfights over German-occupied Hungary. Flying a P-51 Mustang fighter, Archer shot down three German fighters. He would go on to add two more German fighters to his credit to become the first and only African-American ace of the war.

    As a civilian, Archer enjoyed even greater success, serving as vice president for urban affairs with General Foods, as CEO of North Street Capital Corp. and chairman of Hudson Commercial Corp. He also served on the board of directors of Beatrice International Foods and the Institute for American Business.

    Read the rest of his story here.