29 Dec 2020
The Pentagon responded to President-elect Joe Biden’s accusations that its leadership has been obstructing the transition process and has not been transparent with budget planning.
Biden said during remarks Monday that his transition team at the Pentagon has “encountered obstruction” from the political leadership and that it needed “full visibility into the budget planning process underway.”
“We have encountered roadblocks from the political leadership at the Department of Defense and the Office of Management and Budget. Right now, we just aren’t getting all the information that we need from the outgoing administration in key national security areas. It’s nothing short of irresponsible,” Biden said.
27 Dec 2020
KABUL, Afghanistan Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller said on a recent trip to Afghanistan that American special operations forces will likely be the “last out” of Afghanistan.
Miller told reporters traveling with him on the trip, including one from Breitbart News, that during the trip, he talked “extensively” with the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan about the role of U.S. special operators as the overall U.S. troop presence goes to 2,500 by January 15 the lowest number of U.S. forces in the country in nearly 20 years.
“Special operations, I think, will be the last folks out. They’ll continue to maintain counterterrorism pressure on al-Qaeda and affiliates and also provide support to Afghan national security forces. I actually walked out of there pretty confident we’re in a right stance right now,” he said.
27 Dec 2020
ROYAL AIR FORCE STATION MILDENHALL, United Kingdom Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller on Monday visited American troops stationed in the United Kingdom, including the U.S. Air Force air wing who took part in the rescue of an American hostage from Nigeria in October.
During that operation, MC-130J refueling aircraft, CV-22B Ospreys tilt-rotor aircraft, and KC-135 refueling aircraft based at Royal Air Force Station Mildenhall deployed to Rota, Spain, on October 29. From there, U.S. special operations were flown and parachuted into Nigeria, traveled on foot approximately three miles, engaged the hostage-takers in a firefight, and rescued American hostage Philip Walton, taking him to an extraction site where CV-22s flew them to safety, according to The Aviationist.