Panetta Pledges 'No Hollow Force' on His Watch
(July 4, 2011) |
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WASHINGTON, July 1, 2011 – New Defense Secretary Leon E.
Panetta pledged there will be no hollow force on his watch. |
Leon E. Panetta takes
the oath of office as the 23rd U.S. Secretary of
Defense during a Pentagon ceremony, July 1,
2011. Department of Defense General Counsel Jeh
Johnson administered the oath in the secretary's
office. DOD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jacob
N. Bailey |
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The secretary made the commitment in a message
to the Defense Department released after he took
the oath of office this morning. DOD General
Counsel Jeh Johnson administered the oath in the
secretary's office. Taking the oath transferred
responsibility for the department from Robert M.
Gates.
Panetta also pledged to be a
tireless advocate for service members and their
families. “You and your families will always be
foremost on my mind and at the top of my
agenda,” he said.
The secretary will not
hesitate to do what needs to be done to defend
America. He also will fight for the needs “of
the men and women who serve in harm's way, and
the families who support them,” he said. “Even |
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as the United States addresses fiscal challenges
at home, there will be no hollow force on my
watch. That will require us all to be
disciplined in how we manage taxpayer
resources.” |
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Later today, Panetta will meet with Deputy Defense Secretary
William J. Lynn III, and participate in a “tank” meeting
with the members of the Joint Chiefs, said Doug Wilson,
assistant secretary of defense for public affairs. Panetta
and his wife, Sylvia, also will have lunch in his Pentagon
office with Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, and his wife, Deborah.
The
secretary, who served as the director of the CIA, has been
intimately involved with operations around the world since
the beginning of the Obama administration. The nation is at
war, he said, and must prevail against its enemies.
“We will persist in our efforts to disrupt, dismantle and
ultimately defeat al-Qaida,” he said. “The successful
operation that killed Osama Bin Laden -- a mission that
showcased American military strength and precision -- is a
major step toward that goal.”
In Afghanistan, the
secretary said service members must continue to work with
Afghan security forces and coalition partners to transition
security responsibility to the Afghans by 2014. The goal
must be an Afghanistan that never again becomes a safe haven
for terrorists, he said.
The transition of American
troops in Iraq is well under way with more than 100,000 U.S.
service members out of the nation, and 48,000 due to leave
by the end of the year.
“As we continue our
transition out of Iraq, we must cement a strategic
relationship with the Iraqi government, one based not solely
on our military footprint there but on a real and lasting
partnership,” Panetta said. “It is in America's interests to
help Iraq realize its potential to become a stable democracy
in a vitally important region in the world and to reinforce
that responsibility, for the future security of Iraq must
belong to the Iraqis themselves.”
The secretary has a
long public service career that began as an Army
intelligence officer in 1964. He also served in the House of
Representatives from California, director of the Office of
Management and Budget and White House chief of staff in
President Clinton's administration. Throughout his career,
he said, he has focused on being disciplined with the
taxpayers' money, but not short-changing security.
“We must preserve the excellence and superiority of our
military while looking for ways to identify savings,” he
said. “While tough budget choices will need to be made, I do
not believe in the false choice between fiscal discipline
and a strong national defense. We will all work together to
achieve both.”
The secretary noted he is taking
office just before Independence Day. He said his parents --
who immigrated to California from Italy -- believed it was
important to give something back to their adopted country.
“I will never forget my father's words: ‘to be free, we must
also be secure,'” Panetta said. “As Americans come together
to commemorate what we and those before us have
accomplished, and as I take on my new role, my thoughts are
with you and your families.
“You are making personal
sacrifices to preserve our liberty, serving on front lines
around the world,” he continued. “You are fighting to keep
America safe. Rest assured that I will fight with you and
for you.”
As he was sworn in this morning, Panetta
noted there's "no higher responsibility for a secretary of
defense than to protect those who are protecting America."
Panetta said that in the days and weeks ahead he will
meet with all levels of military personnel and DOD
civilians. |
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Copyright 2011 |
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