Published: 9/14/2012

A Marine Corps fleet antiterrorism security team, called a “FAST team” is now on the ground in Yemen to help with security at the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said today.

This is the second FAST team, consisting of about 50 Marines, authorized by Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta to bolster security at U.S. diplomatic installations in the past two days.   The move comes a day after protesters attacked the U.S. Embassy in the Yemeni capital. 

The first team was sent to Libya after the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi that killed four State Department employees, including U.S. Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens.

The FAST platoon was dispatched, Little told reporters here, “partly in response to events over the past two days at our embassy in Yemen, but it’s also in part a precautionary measure.”

Protests began earlier this week in Libya and at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo over what was reportedly an American-produced film posted on the Internet considered insulting to the Prophet Mohammed.   Since then, there have been reports of protests in other countries in the Middle East, including at the U.S. embassy in Tunisia and the German Embassy in Sudan.

Travel alerts posted on the State Department website are advising Americans to exercise caution because of possible demonstrations elsewhere, including in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Jakarta, Indonesia.

About ongoing protests in Cairo at the U.S. Embassy there, Little said “the situation hasn’t to this point necessitated a change in security posture. Naturally, we stand ready to support our State Department colleagues if a request for additional military support comes through.”

In Afghanistan, protests so far have been peaceful, he said.

“We’re gratified based on what we know now,” Little said, “that religious leaders have appealed for nonviolent protests … so for at the moment we have not seen outbursts of violence against our diplomatic installations or military bases in Afghanistan.”

In Libya, he added, “we are continuing to investigate what happened and DOD will do its part, working with our partners across the government, to determine what happened and, if asked, support the president’s call to deliver justice.”

He said the department is in communication with State Department colleagues to discuss military support to embassy and consulate security around the world, but that it is premature to reach final conclusions about the recent violence against U.S. diplomatic posts in Libya, Cairo and elsewhere or about who is responsible.

“I really am asking respectfully for a little bit of patience as we work through this,” Little said. “It’s important to get this answer absolutely correct, and that is the goal of this government -- to make sure that when a call is made that it’s accurate and complete.”
 

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Published: 9/14/2012

As they touched down for the last time on U.S. soil, four Americans killed during attacks this week at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, were honored with eulogies today by President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

In the audience at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland included Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan E. Rice, former Secretary of State and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin L. Powell, as well as many other top military, State Department and civilian officials, and family members of the fallen patriots.

In four flag-draped caskets, each carried from a C-17 aircraft and into a large hangar by seven Marines, were the remains of U.S. Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens, Foreign Service information management officer Sean Smith, and security officers Tyrone S. Woods and Glen A. Doherty.

The Sept. 11 attacks in Benghazi also wounded three Americans who are recovering at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.

At the ceremony, Clinton spoke first, commenting on the life of each State Department hero.

“Today,” she said, “we bring home four Americans who gave their lives for our country and our values. To the families of our fallen colleagues I offer our most heartfelt condolences and deepest gratitude.”

Sean Smith, who joined the State Department after six years in the Air Force, was respected as a technology expert by colleagues in Pretoria, South Africa, Baghdad, Montreal, and The Hague in the Netherlands. He enrolled in correspondence courses at Pennsylvania State University and had high hopes for the future, Clinton said.

“Sean leaves behind a loving wife, Heather; two young children, Samantha and Nathan; and scores of grieving family, friends and colleagues,” she said.

“And that's just in this world,” the secretary added, “because online, in the virtual worlds that Sean helped create, he is also being mourned by countless competitors, collaborators and gamers who shared his passion.”

Clinton said Tyrone Woods, known by friends as Rone, spent 20 years as a Navy SEAL, serving multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and later earning distinction as a registered nurse and a certified paramedic.

“Since 2010 he protected American diplomatic personnel in dangerous posts from Central America to the Middle East,” she said. “Our hearts go out to Tyrone's wife Dorothy and his three sons, Tyrone Jr., Hunter and Kai, born just a few months ago, and to his grieving family, friends and colleagues.”

Glen Doherty, called Bub by his friends, also was a former SEAL and an experienced paramedic, the secretary said, who died as he lived -- serving his country and protecting his colleagues.

“Glen deployed to some of the most dangerous places on earth, including Iraq and Afghanistan, always putting his life on the line to safeguard other Americans,” Clinton said.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Glen's father, Bernard; his mother, Barbara; his brother, Gregory; his sister, Kathleen and their grieving families, friends and colleagues, the secretary added.

Clinton said she was honored to know Ambassador Chris Stevens.

“I want to thank his parents and siblings who are here today for sharing Chris with us and with our country. What a wonderful gift you gave us,” she told them.

During a distinguished career in the Foreign Service, Clinton said, Stevens won friends for the United States around the world and made their hopes his own.

“During the revolution in Libya, he risked his life to help protect the Libyan people from a tyrant, and he gave his life helping them build a better country,” the secretary added.

People loved to work with Chris, who was “known not only for his courage but for his smile -- goofy but contagious -- [and] for his sense of fun and that California cool,” she said, referring to his home in the northern part of the state.

In the days since the attack, so many Libyans have expressed sorrow and solidarity, the secretary said.

“One young woman, her head covered and her eyes haunted with sadness, held up a handwritten sign that said: ‘Thugs and killers don't represent Benghazi nor Islam,’” Clinton said.

“The president of the Palestinian Authority, who worked closely with Chris when he served in Jerusalem, sent me a letter remembering his energy and integrity, and deploring, and I quote, ‘an act of ugly terror,’” she added.

Others from across the Middle East and North Africa have offered similar sentiments, the secretary said.

“This has been a difficult week for the State Department and for our country. We've seen the heavy assault on our post in Benghazi that took the lives of these brave men. We've seen rage and violence directed at American Embassies over an awful Internet video that we had nothing to do with,” she said.

It’s hard for Americans to make sense of these events because the events are senseless and unacceptable, Clinton added, referring to multiple protests at U.S. Embassies over a film posted on the Internet that insults the Prophet Mohammed.

In response, protestors also have swarmed the U.S. Embassy in Tunisia and the German Embassy in Sudan, and the State Department website has posted travel alerts advising caution because of possible demonstrations for anyone visiting U.S. Embassies in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Jakarta, Indonesia.

“The people of Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Tunisia did not trade the tyranny of a dictator for the tyranny of a mob,” Clinton said. “Reasonable people and responsible leaders in these countries need to do everything they can to restore security and hold accountable those behind these violent acts.”

More difficult days lie ahead, she added, “but it is important that we don't lose sight of the fundamental fact that America must keep leading the world. We owe it to these four men to continue the long, hard work of diplomacy.”

As he took the podium, Obama quoted Scripture as teaching that, “‘Greater love hath no man than this; that a man lay down his life for his friends.’” And he said a few words about each of the Americans who died in Libya.

“Four Americans, four patriots,” the president said. “They loved this country and they chose to serve it and served it well. They had a mission and they believed in it. They knew the danger and they accepted it.”

Obama added, “I know that this awful loss -- terrible images of recent days, the pictures we're seeing again today -- have caused some to question this work, and there is no doubt these are difficult days.”

In such incidents of anger and violence, he said, even the most hopeful must wonder.

“But amid all the images of this week I also think of the Libyans who took to the streets with homemade signs expressing their gratitude to an American who believed in what we could achieve together,” the president said.

“I think of the man in Benghazi with his sign in English,” Obama said. “A message he wanted all of us to hear. It said, ‘Chris Stevens was a friend to all Libyans. Chris Stevens was a friend.’”

That message is one each American sends every day, he added, that America is a friend.

“Even as voices of suspicion and mistrust seek to divide countries and cultures from one another, the United States of America will never retreat from the world,” the president said.

Americans will never stop working for the dignity and freedom that every person deserves, whatever their creed or faith, he added.

“That's the essence of American leadership. That's the spirit that sets us apart from other nations. This was their work in Benghazi and this is the work we will carry on,” the president said.

The sacrifice of Doherty, Woods, Smith and Stevens will never be forgotten, he added.

“We will bring to justice those who took them from us,” Obama said. “We will stand fast against the violence on our diplomatic missions. We will continue to do everything in our power to protect Americans serving overseas, whether that means increasing security at our diplomatic posts, working with host countries … and making it clear that justice will come to those who harm Americans.”
 

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Published: 9/13/2012

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta will leave this weekend for his third visit to Asia in 11 months, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters today.

Panetta will travel to Japan, China and New Zealand.

In Japan, the secretary will meet with Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto for the second consultation in as many months. Panetta also will meet Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba, Little said.

“The U.S.-Japan alliance has been a cornerstone of security and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region for more than 50 years,” Little said. “And as part of our rebalancing effort, we are making new investments in the alliance for the 21st century.”

Little said the secretary looks forward to discussing a wide range of issues with his Japanese counterpart, including Japanese concerns over safety of the Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft the United States is deploying to Japan.

“We’ve been in close consultation with Japanese defense officials about the MV-22 Osprey aircraft,” Little said. “We have briefed them on events that have caused some concern in Japan, and we believe that this deployment remains on track.” So far, he said, he has no timeline for when the Osprey will be fully operational in Japan.

The frequency of recent visits to Japan shows the United States has “an unwavering commitment to the Japanese alliance and to Japanese security,” Little said.

“And it makes sense when you’re in the neighborhood to stop by and see your good friends,” he added.

While in Japan, Panetta also will meet with U.S. service members, Little said.

Next, the secretary will travel to China at the invitation of Defense Minister Gen. Liang Guanglie.

“The visit provides an opportunity to deepen military-to-military engagements between China and the United States,” Little said, “[and the nations] continue to work together to establish healthy, stable reliable and continuous military-to-military ties.”

Panetta’s visit follows on Liang’s trip to Washington in May.

“We believe it’s going to be a very productive and cordial visit,” Little said, “one that will advance our shared goals of a more transparent and even more viable relationship with the Chinese military.”

Panetta’s next stop, nearly 7,000 miles southeast of China, will be New Zealand. He will be the first U.S. defense secretary to visit that nation in more than 30 years, Little said. The trip follows the signing in June of the Washington Declaration by the secretary and Dr. Jonathan Coleman, New Zealand’s defense minister.

“The declaration provides a framework for cooperation to focus, strengthen and expand the bilateral defense relationship,” the press secretary explained.

While in New Zealand, Panetta will lay a wreath at the World War II Hall of Memories in Auckland to remember the sacrifices of New Zealand’s defense forces in that war, in Korea, in the Malaya-Borneo conflict, in Vietnam and in Afghanistan, Little said.
 

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Published: 9/14/2012

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey arrived here today to participate in NATO Military Committee talks.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will meet with his fellow chiefs of defense to discuss Afghanistan and other NATO issues. The meeting, hosted by Romanian Air Force Lt. Gen. Stefan Danila, lasts through Sept. 16.

This is the first Military Committee meeting since the NATO Summit in Chicago. The chiefs of defense will examine progress made in a number of areas. The meeting will concentrate on challenges in the wider security environment, as well as ongoing operations in Afghanistan and in the Western Balkans. Discussions will also focus on NATO’s transformation stages, including the structural revision of the International Military Staff.

NATO nations agreed in Chicago in May to ensure the alliance can perform the full range of missions even during austere times.

Danish Army Gen. Knud Bartels, the chairman of the committee, will preside. Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, the NATO Supreme Allied Commander Operations, and Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, the commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force and commander of U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, are attending.

This is the first time Romania has hosted the Military Committee meeting, but Bucharest, the capital, hosted the NATO Summit in 2008. Romania has been an active member of the alliance even before officially joining in 2004.

Romania sent troops to Afghanistan in 2002 and now has roughly 1,800 service members in that country. Romania has also been active in the Balkans and had troops deployed to Iraq.
 

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Published: 9/14/2012

The State Department has identified the two security officers who died Sept. 11 in Benghazi, Libya, while helping to protect their colleagues.

In a Sept. 13 statement, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tyrone S. Woods and Glen A. Doherty were “decorated military veterans who served our country with honor and distinction.”

The attacks on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi also killed U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and Foreign Service information management officer Sean Smith, and wounded three other Americans who are recovering at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.

The State Department previously identified Stevens and Smith.

On Sept. 12, President Barack Obama issued a proclamation ordering U.S. flags to fly at half-staff until sunset on Sept. 16 in honor of Stevens, Smith, Woods and Dougherty.

Obama, Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta today took part in a dignified transfer of the remains of the four Americans during a ceremony at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

“Our thoughts, prayers and deepest gratitude are with their families and friends. Our embassies could not carry on our critical work around the world without the service and sacrifice of brave people like Tyrone and Glen,” Clinton said in the statement.

Wood’s friends and colleagues called him “Rone” and relied on his courage and skill, honed over two decades as a Navy SEAL, she added.

“In uniform he served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Clinton said. “Since 2010, he protected American diplomatic personnel in dangerous posts from Central America to the Middle East.”

Woods had the hands of a healer and the arm of a warrior, she said, earning distinction as a registered nurse and a certified paramedic.

“All our hearts go out to Tyrone’s wife Dorothy and his three sons, Tyrone Jr., Hunter and Kai, who was born just a few months ago,” the secretary said.

“We also grieve for Glen Doherty, called Bud, and his family: his father Bernard, his mother Barbara, his brother Gregory and his sister Kathleen,” Clinton added.

Doherty was also a former Navy SEAL and an experienced paramedic who put his life on the line protecting Americans in Iraq, Afghanistan and other hotspots, she said.

“In the end, he died the way he lived -- with selfless honor and unstinting valor,” the secretary said.

Clinton condemned in the strongest terms the attack that took the lives of the Americans, and said the United States is taking more steps to safeguard American embassies, consulates and citizens around the world.

“The violence should shock the conscience of people of all faiths and traditions,” Clinton added.

“We appreciate the statements of support that have poured in from across the region and beyond. People of conscience and goodwill everywhere must stand together in these difficult days against violence, hate and division,” she said.

The secretary said she is enormously proud of the men and women who risk their lives every day in the service of the country.

“We honor the memory of our fallen colleague by continuing their work and carrying on the best traditions of a bold and generous nation,” Clinton said.
 

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Published: 9/14/2012

Brad Snyder, a triple medalist in swimming in the recently concluded 2012 Paralympic Games, was here today, along with most of the other Paralympians and Olympians who represented the United States in London, to meet with President Barack Obama at the White House.

A Navy lieutenant who earned his commission at the U.S. Naval Academy, Snyder was injured in 2011 by an improvised explosive device. The injury left him blinded. But that didn't stop Snyder from medaling at the Warrior Games in May. And it didn't stop him from earning two gold medals and a silver swimming in London during the Paralympic Games.

Snyder was also honored to carry the American flag during the closing ceremonies of the Paralympic Games. Both he and flag bearer Mariel Zagunis, the Olympic fencer who carried the flag in during the Summer Olympics opening ceremonies in London, brought that flag back home to the White House and presented it to Obama.

"I was thinking about it in retrospect," Snyder said. "The toughest aspect of my recovery over the last year was the idea that my service was taken away from me. To be able to throw on this new uniform, represent Team USA, and get back out there and continue to serve and ... get back in the fight, was amazing for my family ... I'm really glad to be the one to represent Team USA to bring that flag home to you, our president. It's really a privilege."

The United States sent 530 athletes to the Summer Olympics in London, and another 216 to the Paralympics. Many of those athletes were at the White House today standing behind Obama to hear him pass on to them the gratitude of Americans, and to convey to them his pride and the pride of all Americans.

"What you guys did is inspire us," Obama said. "You made us proud. As president, you made me especially proud to see how you conduct yourself on a world stage. You could not have been better ambassadors and better representatives for the United States and what we stand for."

The president said that watching the Olympics and Paralympics and seeing who America sends to the games allows the citizens of other nations to see the diversity of the United States.

"One of the great things about watching our Olympics is [you] are a portrait of what this country is all about," he said. "People from every walk of life, every background, every faith; it sends a message to the world about what makes America special. It speaks to the character of this group, how you guys carried yourselves. And it's even more impressive when you think about the obstacles that many of you have overcome."

The president said he recently visited the Olympic training facility in Colorado and witnessed athletes there preparing for both the next winter and summer Olympic Games. He said that it impressed upon him the effort that goes into preparing for the competition.

"It was just amazing to see not only how hard people were training, but also to hear how much you guys get to eat," Obama said, getting laughs from the crowd. "I hope that all of you guys get some well-deserved time off over the next few months. But I know that pretty soon many of you will be back in the gym or on the track or in the pool, thinking about Rio, because the Olympics is not just about what happens on the big stage in front of the cameras when the world is watching; it's about what happens when nobody is watching. And that's what really counts."

Before leaving the podium, to shake the hands with every athlete who attended the ceremony -- an effort the president acknowledged would make him late for his next engagement -- he thanked the athletes for what they had done.

"So thank you for being such great role models, especially for our young people. We could not be prouder of you," he said. "You gave us a summer we will never forget."
 

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Published: 9/14/2012

President Barack Obama said the employers of Guard members and reservists are taking care of those who serve in the nation’s military by “hiring and retaining members of the Guard and Reserve, and by creating a culture of military support in the workplace,” in his proclamation issued today declaring Sept. 16 through Sept. 22 as National Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Week.

The proclamation reads:

“During the 236 years since our fundamental rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness were first put to paper, ordinary citizens have always stood ready to defend them as members of the United States Armed Forces. Today's service members represent the latest in the long line of heroes who have answered their country's call, and their exceptional service in a post-9/11 world has secured their place alongside the greatest generations. As essential components of our military, the National Guard and Reserve have helped carry that legacy forward. This week, we honor their service and sacrifice, give thanks to their employers, and reaffirm our commitment to giving our troops, our military families, and our veterans the opportunities and support they have earned.

“Of the more than 2 million Americans who have gone to war since September 11, 2001, many have been members of the Guard and Reserve. Deployment after deployment, these men and women demonstrate the utmost courage and distinction in the line of duty, putting themselves in harm's way while knowing all too well the full cost of conflict. Members of the Guard and Reserve also serve here at home, stepping in to keep our communities safe when emergencies or natural disasters threaten our security. For their extraordinary sacrifice, our Nation must serve them as well as they have served us -- from ensuring they have our fullest support on the battlefield to helping them find good jobs when they come home.

“Businesses across America are helping us meet that obligation by hiring and retaining members of the Guard and Reserve, and by creating a culture of military support in the workplace. These employers help keep our service members' civilian careers moving forward, and many demonstrate their invaluable support by ensuring our men and women in uniform -- and their families -- get the flexibility and care they need during deployment. At a time when our Nation has asked so much of our troops and military families, businesses nationwide are helping them meet the challenges they face and defend the country they love.

“America shares a sacred trust with all those who serve in our Armed Forces, and my Administration remains committed to honoring that trust. As part of First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden's Joining Forces initiative, we have striven to expand employment opportunities for veterans and military spouses, and to help workplaces create environments that support
military families.

“Within the past year, 2,000 companies have hired or trained more than 125,000 service members and military spouses through Joining Forces. With tools like our online Veterans Job Bank, we are connecting veterans to businesses that will put their skills to work. I was proud to sign the VOW to Hire Heroes Act, which created new tax credits to encourage employers to hire veterans. And this July, we announced an overhaul of our transition assistance program that will give departing service members the training they need to find their next job or advance their education and skills.

“During National Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Week, let us pay tribute to the brave men and women who keep our Nation safe and celebrate their devoted employers, whose support is vital to the strength of our military.

“NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 16 through September 22, 2012, as National Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Week. I call upon all Americans to join me in expressing our heartfelt thanks to the members of the National Guard and Reserve and their civilian employers. I also call on State and local officials, private organizations, and all military commanders, to observe this week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.”
 

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Published: 9/14/2012

President Barack Obama said the nation’s Hispanic citizens “have led movements that pushed our country closer to realizing the democratic ideals of America's founding documents, and they have served courageously as members of our Armed Forces to defend those ideals at home and abroad,” in his proclamation issued today declaring September as National Hispanic Heritage Month.

The proclamation reads:

“Our Nation's story would not be possible without generations of Hispanics who have shaped and strengthened the fabric of our Union. They have enriched every aspect of our national identity with traditions that stretch across centuries and reflect the many ancestries that comprise the Hispanic community. This month, we celebrate this rich heritage and reflect on the invaluable contributions Hispanics have made to America.

“Hispanics have helped shape our communities and expand our country, from laboratories and industry to board rooms and classrooms. They have led movements that pushed our country closer to realizing the democratic ideals of America's founding documents, and they have served courageously as members of our Armed Forces to defend those ideals at home and abroad. Hispanics also serve as leaders throughout the public sector, working at the highest levels of our government and serving on our highest courts.

“As we celebrate these hard-fought achievements, we must also remember there is more work to be done to widen the circle of opportunity for the Hispanic community and keep the American dream within reach for all who seek it. From promoting job creation and ensuring Hispanics are represented in the Federal workforce to reshaping our education system to meet the demands of the 21st century, my Administration has built ladders of opportunity. The Department of Homeland Security has lifted the shadow of deportation from talented and patriotic young people who were brought to America as children, giving them a degree of relief so they can continue contributing to our society, and we remain steadfast in our pursuit of meaningful legislative immigration reform.

“Whether we trace our roots to those who came here on the Mayflower, who settled the Southwest centuries ago, or who joined the American family more recently, we share a common belief in the enduring promise of America -- the promise that regardless of where we come from or what we look like, each of us can make it if we try. During National Hispanic Heritage Month, as we celebrate the successes of the Hispanic community, let us reaffirm our commitment to extending that promise to all Americans.

“To honor the achievements of Hispanics in America, the Congress by Public Law 100-402, as amended, has authorized and requested the President to issue annually a proclamation designating September 15 through October 15 as ‘National Hispanic Heritage Month.’

“NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 15 through October 15, 2012, as National Hispanic Heritage Month. I call upon public officials, educators, librarians, and all Americans to observe this month with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs.”
 

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Published: 9/14/2012

Budget uncertainty is hindering the Defense Department’s efforts to achieve budget auditability by 2014, a senior defense official told Congress today.

DOD Comptroller Robert F. Hale, testifying before the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee said that while modernization of the department’s business system environment is progressing, budget uncertainty has led to “time-consuming and unproductive planning efforts.”

The hearing, a follow up to last year’s Defense Financial Management and Auditability Reform panel, is part of an ongoing review of the DOD’s financial management system.

The review’s intent is to oversee DOD's financial management system and its capacity for providing timely, reliable and useful information needed for making accurate decision-making and reporting, said Rep. Rob Wittman, the committee chair.

“We remain fully committed to meeting our audit goals,” Hale told the subcommittee, “and we're reasonably confident that we will meet those goals in the time frames that have been established by us and, in some cases, in the law.”

Auditability will allow DOD to make better use of taxpayer resources, Hale said.

“That's important, especially in these times of fiscal stress and declining budgets,” he said.

The most important reason DOD is working to achieve auditable financial statements is to secure public confidence, Hale said.

“I don't think we'll ever convince the American public, I don't think we'll convince the Congress that we're good stewards of their funds unless we can pass an audit test,” he said.

However, Hale noted, DOD is tracking taxpayer money and knows where every dollar is spent.

“We pay our people and our vendors on time and accurately, and record the transactions properly,” he said. “If that weren't the case, you would see massive problems of missed payments and mission failure.”

Auditability hasn’t yet been achieved, Hale said, “because we can't document the transactions properly and quickly and because, in some cases, our financial processes and internal controls are not sufficiently strong and consistent. These are problems we can and will fix.”

The department is focused on the information it most needs to manage and is seeing meaningful progress, he said.

Along with the commitment of Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, “we have a combination of short-term goals and long-term goals, a supportive governance structure [and] dedicated funding of $300 million to $400 million a year throughout our planning period,” Hale said.

The efforts to improve financial management and achieve audit readiness are just part of a broader effort to improve business operations across the DOD, Elizabeth A. McGrath, the Pentagon’s deputy chief management officer, told the House panel.

A significant development in the business system modernization effort was the creation of a single business system investment review board following the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, McGrath said.

“This board reviews and certifies planning, design, acquisition, development [and] modernization -- all aspects of a project -- [and] how they fit into the broader business conversation ... for all systems and initiatives that are greater than $1 million,” she said.

The change helps the department to make better investment decisions, McGrath said.

“It also accelerates the retirement of legacy systems,” she said. In 2011, DOD retired 120 legacy business systems. In 2012, the number of retired systems is approaching 200, with about 150 projected for retirement in 2013.

Modernizing the systems environment requires input from each of the services, McGrath said, and the diversity of requirements and in the life cycles of existing systems has presented some challenges. But, she said, “we are also delivering capabilities: shorter repair cycle times, better visibility of our assets, reduced interest penalties and better scheduling of maintenance activities.

Modernizing the business system environment will not enable auditability by itself, she said, but the effort is necessary to meeting and sustaining the goal of audit readiness.

“We're grateful for the support that we've gotten from the Congress,” Hale said. “Congressional attention is one effective means of ensuring that audit readiness remains a high priority.

“There is another thing you can do to help,” Hale told members of the panel. “In recent years, we've encountered unprecedented budgetary uncertainty, including no fewer than four shutdown drills ... They've generated time-consuming and unproductive planning efforts. Sometimes I think I spend most of my time planning for things I hope don't happen.

“Now we face the prospect of sequestration and yet another long-term continuing resolution,” he continued. “Dealing with these extraordinary actions is sapping the time we could be spending on other things, including audit readiness. The single-biggest thing you can do to help me would be to return to a more orderly budget process.”

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Published: 9/14/2012

When artist Peter Hemmer channeled his creative process to produce a poster highlighting the Defense Department’s participation in this year’s National Hispanic Heritage Month, he knew he wanted a one-of-a-kind design.

“I wanted to find something bright, colorful and vibrant,” said Hemmer, an illustrator with the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla.

“Every observance has challenges built into it,” Hemmer said, noting he wanted this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month poster to be different and interesting.

Hemmer said he didn’t want to repeat what’s been done in years past, or produce a poster “that’s so specific, it alienates certain subgroups of that ethnic group.”

He conferred with DEOMI research editor Dawn Smith to develop ideas for the Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 observance, which is themed, “Diversity United, Building America’s Future Today.”

The consistent factor Hemmer and Smith found in different Hispanic cultures was vibrant colors, they said.

“In the Hispanic population, some other strong qualities are embracing their past, family, celebration and tradition,” Smith added.

And through her research for the culturally diverse observance, Smith found a common theme among the many Hispanic cultures: the traditional dress.

“She brought out some pictures of Latina dresses for fiestas, and I was struck by them,” Hemmer said. “The more I looked at them, the more I thought about abstract shapes that showed motion. It came together fairly quickly.”

In just two days, he said, he was finished with his acrylic abstract creation.

“My thought was that [the observance] encompasses such a huge group of people,” Smith said, “we wanted to make sure we used something that spoke to the entire population of Hispanic Americans.”

“Observances are designed to enhance cross-cultural awareness for harmony among all our military members, their families and our civilian work force,” said Bryan Ripple, DEOMI public affairs officer.

Taking a bit of artistic license, Hemmer felt the poster should embrace the word “American” for Hispanic U.S. citizens.

“Although Hispanic people come from several different countries in the world, we honor them as valued American citizens,” Ripple said of the poster’s inclusion of the word “American.”

“What I like about Pete’s posters is they cause you to stop and look at them and contemplate what he’s trying to do with his artwork,” Ripple said, adding that the poster is made available to all federal government agencies.

An illustrator with DEOMI for more than 11 years, Hemmer said he often uses mixed media to design his creations, from paint and photography to sculpture and calligraphy.

Hemmer’s work has become so popular, that DEOMI dedicated a “Diversity Hall” to display 53 framed pieces of his work -- each one measuring 30 inches by 40 inches, Ripple said.

“Doing this job is wonderful for me to be able to use my talent -- not only to create art, but to create art that’s useful to other people and furthers DEOMI’s mission,” Hemmer said. “That’s worth something.”

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