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Remarks by Secretary Carter at a Troop Event in Iraq

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ASHTON CARTER:  All right.  Staff Sergeant Duda, thank you so much.  Appreciate it.  You're the voice of the 101st, is that right?

(CROSSTALK)

SEC. CARTER:  (inaudible) -- sit down, please relax.

And thank you, and I know I'm a couple of minutes late, but it was important for me to have the time to speak with the leaders here, and I did.  And that took some time.

Thanks for the introduction.  Thanks for hosting me today, voice of the 101st, General MacFarland, Sean.  And our ambassador also, Ambassador Jones, is here, too.

To General MacFarland, I really want to say thank you for your outstanding leadership of this vitally important campaign.  The Department of Defense, our country, owes a great debt of gratitude to you, Sean, for successfully leading yet again for our country.  And Sean and I go back some years.

A challenging campaign in a challenging part of the world, with great success.

I know you'd want me to pass all the credit to this, your fantastic troops, and that's where the credit always belongs.  And today, I guess I get to do both -- thank you all and those for whom you stand here, which are all of your units represented by you here.

So to Sean and all of your guys, thank you so much for what you've done.  It's extremely impressive.

Come August, Sean will be handling this fight -- handing this fight over to another remarkable leader, officer, also a guy I've known for a long time, Lieutenant General Steve Townsend.  But as complex as the fight is and as complex as it remains, I also know that Steve will inherit a campaign that has progressed remarkably under your leadership and your execution.

So, thank you.

I'm very glad to be back here in Baghdad.  This is my fourth time here this year as your secretary of defense.  And every time I come, I'm impressed with your dedication, your commitment and above all what you've been able to accomplish alongside our Iraqi and Kurdish partners on the battlefield.  Thank you for everything you've done, for all you continue to do each day, and how you do it.

And please pass my sincere thanks and that of our country to your families, which I know are supporting you as you sit here.  We're extremely proud of you -- extremely proud of you and very grateful for what you're doing out here.

Now, six months ago, I had the privilege of speaking to many of you who are from the 101st.  Who's from the 101st here?  I can't see all the patches.  Some of your faces, I'll see who I recognize here.  The famed 101st -- I spoke to you at Fort Campbell six months ago on the eve of your deployment here to Iraq.  It was there that I outlined the core objectives of our military campaign to defeat ISIL, the one that you've been at the very tip of the spear, you in this room, in executing.

And those objectives are three.

First, to destroy ISIL's parent tumor in Syria and Iraq by collapsing its two power centers in Raqqah and Mosul.  That's necessary, absolutely necessary because it's important to destroy the idea that there can be a state based upon the ideology represented by ISIL, and that needs to be done here in Iraq and Syria.  That is necessary, but it's not sufficient.

And so there are two other parts of our campaign.  The second is to combat the metastasis of ISIL wherever it emerges around the world.  And the third is, of course, to protect our people and our homeland back home, which we do with law enforcement and intelligence and homeland security.  But we play a role there when we're asked to.

And I described also at that time not just those three objectives, but our strategic approach to achieving them in this campaign, which is to enable local and motivated forces and an international coalition that supports them, with a clear plan, with American leadership and with all of our awesome capabilities, from airstrikes to special forces, cyber tools, intelligence, equipment, mobility and logistics, training, advice and assistance from those on the ground, including you, who are our most strategic asset.

To enable local, motivated forces, and that is our strategic approach because what we need to do is not only defeat ISIL, but make sure they stay defeated and that must mean there's somebody who has to be here to keep security and govern the place and give people back a decent life here after they're defeated.  So our approach is to enable capable and motivated local forces.  That's what we're doing.

And at that time also when I describe those objects in that campaign and that strategic approach to achieving those objectives, we all -- we began by implementing a series of specific and deliberate steps.  What President Obama called when we talked to him about it the first plays in the game.

That we would accomplish within the first months to put ISIL on a path to lasting defeat.  And while I won't list all those plays, they were intended to pressure and disrupt ISIL across all the theater, roll it back towards Raqqah and Mosul, isolate those two cities and effectively set the stage to collapse ISIL's control over them.

And now six months later, I'm proud to be here with you in Baghdad and congratulate you on the remarkable results you've achieved in support of our Iraqi and Kurdish partners and in pursuit of those objectives of our military campaign.

And I also want to preview for you, first, as I've done before and I'll continue to do in the future, some additional steps we'll be taking to accelerate the campaign to deal a lasting defeat to ISIL, which I'm certain that you and our partners will do.

I'm certain that will happen, but we want to accelerate that and we're constantly looking for opportunities to do that.  And with your help, the Iraqi security forces have had a string of consequential results in those months on the battlefield that have strengthened the momentum.  These results speak for themselves.

After clearing Ramadi, the ISF have cleared Hit, Rutbah, most recently Fallujah, the last major urban center in Anbar province that needs to be rid of ISIL.

And despite the summer heat, our Iraqi partners, with your support, your intrepid support, pressed ahead with the fight, cleared one town after another, dealing ISIL a series of blows.  And just this week, they again demonstrated their strong will to fight in maneuvering north up the Tigris River valley to seize the strategically important Qayyarah West airfield.

Just as you have excelled here in Iraq in support of ISF, our special operators and air crews are also enabling local and capable and motivated forces in Syria to take the fight to ISIL there.  After seizing Shaddadi, which is a crucial road juncture between Mosul and Raqqah, our Syrian partners have now surrounded Manbij city.  This is also significant.  Manbij is one of the last junctions connecting Raqqah to the outside world and one that served as a transit point for external plotters attacking our allies and threatening our homeland.

Simply put, we've been moving out in a deliberate fashion with our local partners in both Iraq and Syria to implement our campaign plan.  And with these consequential results behind us, you will now embark on the next major steps of the campaign to collapse ISIL control over Mosul here in Iraq, and Raqqah in Syria.  That's one of the primary reasons for my visit today, to confer with our commanders, Prime Minister Abadi, President Barzani, Minister of Defense Obaidi, on what needs to be done next to achieve those objectives.

And I'm pleased to report today in that connection that we agreed for the United States to bolster the Iraqi efforts to isolate and pressure Mosul by deploying 560 additional troops in support of the ISF and especially at the Qayyarah West airfield.

This contingent will help the Iraqis establish a logistical springboard for their offensive in Mosul, which Prime Minister Abadi reaffirmed to me that he wants to accomplish this year.  At every step in this campaign, we've generated and seized additional opportunities to hasten ISIL's lasting defeat.  And with these additional U.S. forces I'm describing today, we'll bring unique capabilities to the campaign and provide critical support to Iraqi forces at a key moment in the fight.

As we set the stage for Mosul, we must simultaneously continue to go after ISIL in Syria.  There, we will enable local partners to isolate and press -- pressure Raqqah once Manbij city is seized.  Our efforts will include continuing to find local forces, training their leaders, and enabling them to take the fight to ISIL.

Building on the successes of our current efforts and those to come, we will be prepared there also to scale up our assistance appropriately.  Importantly, we'll also seek to enable motivated forces to move on Raqqah from the south.

Now, as you know, this is not and should not be our fight alone.  We have a strong international coalition behind us and in a week-and-a-half in Washington, I'll convene all of my coalition counterparts, the ministers of defense from all of the countries, Europe, the Gulf, even over into Southeast Asia, as well as, of course, Defense Minister Obaidi here, in Washington, all of them to yet again identify more ways for us all to increase our contributions and accelerate this campaign.

We'll also identify the steps that must be taken to combat ISIL wherever else it might attempt to take hold, and discuss how to protect our respective homelands and our people -- in other words, all three parts of the campaign, Syria and Iraq, metastasis around the world and protection of the homelands.

And to ensure ISIL's defeat is a lasting one, that is that you and your partners' fights results the -- and the gains you've made endure.  We have to continue to work with our international coalition, as well as our U.S. and local partners to make sure that the efforts to provide critical economic aid and stabilization do not lag behind the military effort.

This is critical.  It's a point I've made before and I'll continue to make as we hasten ISIL's military defeat.  We need to make sure that the economic and stabilization dimension keeps pace with the amazing military progress you and your partners are making.

Now, as we pursue the next phase, we and our partners will continue to look at more we can -- what we can do more to create and seize opportunities and further accelerate ISIL's lasting defeat.  I'm never satisfied.  There's tough work ahead, including to reconstruct and rehabilitate areas brutalized by ISIL so that gains are consolidated irreversibly.

But we have the right campaign plan.  We have the most capable commanders.  We have motivated partners, who are growing in strength.  And most importantly, we have you.  You are the greatest strategic asset we have in this whole fight.  I don't take that for granted.

Thank you again for what you and how you do it.  Your daily sacrifices aren't lost on me.  They'll be forever earning of the gratitude of your nation.

With that, I'm happy to take your questions.

Sergeant Duda, how do you want to do this?  It doesn't have to even be a question.  It can be an observation, something you think I need to know.  But question is fine, too.

(CROSSTALK)

Q:  (inaudible) -- of the 101st Airborne Division -- (inaudible).

SEC. CARTER:  We've met before.

Q:  (inaudible).  First of all, I want to say thank you for being here with all of the soldiers.  And my question is this.  Can you share with us your philosophy as it relates to the recruitment and the retention of those Americans who are best-suited or best-capable or best-qualified to accomplish the mission?

SEC. CARTER:  Yes.  Good -- good question.

Look, you guys right here, right now, are the finest fighting force the world has ever known.  And my job is to employ you in a way that keeps our country safe, that is attentive to your welfare and risk, and therefore make sure that the missions we're asking you to accomplish are worthwhile.

But it's also my job to make sure that those who come after you are as good as you are.  And I can't take that for granted.  You know, times change, generations change.  We're an all-volunteer force.  We don't tell anybody to serve.  You all volunteered to serve.

So I essentially need to compete for talent in the next generation.  That's what we have to do.  So a couple of principles in that regard.  First is I -- we need to continue -- constantly think about military life and how different generations perceive it.

Now, we -- we'll always be different, right?  We're not a company.  We're not like anything else.  The profession of arms is different from any other profession.  But still, I look around the country and I say, "How are other people dealing with attracting and retaining people?"  We're trying to learn lessons from that.

Second thing we need to do is dip into the entire U.S. population.  That's why it was so important for me to have women in all MOSs.  I've got a simple reason for that.  Women are half the population of the United States.  I'm looking for the best.  If I'm not fishing in the whole pond, I'm not -- that doesn't mean anybody's treated any differently.  Everybody has to meet the same standards, but I need to have the broadest pool that I can possibly have because I'm trying to recruit from that pool.

I need to be selective.  Our standards don't change.  In fact, our standards improve over time and they have improved over time.  So I'm getting more and more picky.  And so I need a bigger pool.  So those are a few things we do at the -- the enlistment and accession stage.

I also am trying to retain good people.  And that's where you all come in.  You're good.  I want you.  There are a lot of things that go into that.  I'll just mention one.  A lot of you have families.  Not everybody is married, but largely our military is a married military.  And that means everybody's got a home life.  They've got a spouse who has some other job, who lives in some other place.  And you've got kids.  And it's a lot to juggle.  And we're telling you go here, do this.  And I have to recognize that.

Now, I can't be too flexible about the go here, do this.  But elsewhere when it comes to childcare hours and -- and maternity and paternity leave, which I made some changes in a few months ago -- these were things that were aimed at making it a little easier for people to stick with us when they're trying to -- they want to make a commitment to our military, and they've obviously gotten to a point where they've shown what they're worth, but they're also trying to have a family.

So these are a few of the things.  And I pay a lot of attention to that because I -- I want my successor's successor's successor to be able to stand at a podium somewhere in front of a bunch of people as good as you.

Who's next?  All the way over there.

Q:  Good afternoon, Mr. Secretary.  (inaudible) -- here from the -- (inaudible) -- Combat Aviation Brigade, California National Guard.

I have a two-part question.  When -- (inaudible) -- for the U.S. forces here in Iraq?

SEC. CARTER:  Very good question.  So, I don't know if everybody could hear that, but once the campaign for Mosul succeeds, which it will do, what's next for U.S. forces here.  Well, then we will have, with our Iraqi security forces enabled by us, we'll have seized all the major urban centers in -- from Iraq.  But they -- that won't establish control over the entirety of the territory.

So what will be next is continuing to help them establish control and destroy ISIL everywhere throughout the territory, having done that in the major urban centers.  And then also help them combat what we know will be another tactic of ISIL, which we saw here in Baghdad over the last couple of weeks, which is to attack the population, try to terrorize the population.

So there will need to be some work done here to consolidate security over the entire country.  It's important that the major urban centers be seized, and I think one of the reasons for that is that it takes away the logistics of, planning of, communications of -- from ISIL, but it also takes away the idea that this is anything but a bunch of (inaudible), and they all still need to be combated around, so we'll still have work to do.

Q:  (inaudible)

SEC. CARTER:  (inaudible) -- this is like - this is like our press with the two-part question.

Q:  (inaudible)

SEC. CARTER:  That's true, too.

Q:  I want to know if you watched the -- (inaudible).

SEC. CARTER:   Oh, yeah, well I did.  I got close to watching it, yeah.  I was -- I was trained as a theoretical physicist and that's how I embarked in life, and then I -- this thing -- (inaudible) -- caught on for me like it probably did for you all, the same thing; get a little taste of what it's like to -- to do what is the most important thing you can do with your life, which is protect other people.  That's what you all do.

You get a -- a feeling for that and it -- it's pretty compelling.  So that's how I got hooked in this -- in this area.  But I still do follow things.  I was a subatomic physics guy.  I was -- I was one of those guys who worked and did experiments at the big accelerators and so forth.

And you asked me about astrophysics.  They actually link up because the reason people look at astrophysics now is because that's how -- that's where you find matter in high-energy densities and we can't build accelerators that big.  So there is actually a little connection there.  But that's pretty long from my current duties.  That's the best answer I can give you.

Q:  (inaudible)

SEC. CARTER:   Yeah, you guys have arranged for Staff Sergeant Duda to -- (inaudible).   Yes, sir?

Q:  (inaudible)

SEC. CARTER:   Okay.  I'm not sure everybody could hear that, but the question was this.  With the Army downsizing, the question was what about the role of the National Guard?

Is that basically right?

Q:  (inaudible)

SEC. CARTER:  At forward locations.  Yeah, actual deployment of -- of National Guard.  I get it.   I get it.  Okay.

So let me start with the first part, which is, yeah, there is some reduction in the Army overall end-strength.  That is as a consequence of the fact that the big campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan we had going a few years ago, which required a little extra end-strength in order to rotate units out.

Remember we were rotating forces much larger than we have in here now at that time, and we need -- we increased end-strength somewhat.  And we're -- we're reversing that and going back basically to where we were before that in terms of Army end-strength simply because that is the priority that the Army gives to how it uses its funds.

General Milley and Secretary Fanning want to put that -- those extra dollars into two things -- principally readiness and full-spectrum training because remember the Army is moving now from a COIN-only focus for 10, 12 years, to full-spectrum readiness now because we're looking at issues in Europe.  I was just at NATO.  We're looking at issues in Asia.  We're looking at issues here -- we're talking about ISIL here, but don't forget, we have a deterrence mission in Iran, with respect to Iran in this region.

We have a deterrence mission with respect to North Korea in the -- on the Korean Peninsula.  So, we have got lots to do here.  And they're trying to balance that, and they're also trying to balance -- to get back to the prior question -- pay and compensation, which also comes down to the same budget, and also modernization, new equipment.

So, as they do that balance, and -- and adjust for the fact that the two wars are over, the end strength is coming down somewhat.

So, that is the basic story for the -- the active duty -- (inaudible).  The Guard and Reserve coming down less so, and your basic question is, what is the Guard -- Guard going to do in the future?

I think the Guard has proven itself in the last 12, 15 years.  And so, it's an -- and -- and it's going to remain an important part of the force.  But it's not just in the way that it was in the last ten or 12 years of -- of backfilling for large, rotational COIN forces.

The Guard is doing lots of other stuff, and I'll give you a couple of examples.  Guard units are now operating RPAs for the Army.  Guard units are doing spectacular cyber work for the Army.

This is in addition to all of the other stuff -- combat aviation, all of the other things that the Guard does.

So it's -- it, too, is moving to a full spectrum concept of what the Guard does, even as the active duty Army.  So, the total force is all headed in the same direction.

That's a long-winded answer, but it's actually kind of complicated, because there's lots of different parts here, of which end -- end strength is only one.  The real key is the movement from COIN, principally, to full spectrum of our Army.

By the way, the Marine Corps is doing the same thing, and the Air Force is doing the same thing, and the Navy also somewhat.  Everybody is looking at this variety of problems we have today, what I call the five big ones, which are ISIL, Iran, North Korea, Russia and the Asia Pacific/China.

A lot to do.  A lot to do.

Okay.  Listen, you all, thank you so much.  You should be very proud of yourselves.  WE are extremely proud of you.  What you've accomplished here has been spectacular, and I think the confidence that the -- that I have in you, the American people have in you, is -- it -- you can feel it when you talk to people.

They know that what you're doing over here is showing results.  Keep it up.