News and reports from the Department of Defense, DOD.

In a ceremony at the Pentagon today, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks and Performance Improvement Officer and Director of Administration & Management, Ms. Jennifer C. Walsh, honored Department of Defense 2023 Presidential Rank Awards recipients.

DOD Spokesperson Robert L. Ditchey II provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced today that the president has made several nominations for high-ranking military positions.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced today that the president has made the following nomination: Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) Philip E. Sobeck for appointment to the grade of rear admiral. Sobeck is currently serving as commander, Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia.

The Department of Defense (DOD) announced this week two listening sessions to gather public input on its environmental justice (EJ) strategy. The DOD is updating its EJ Strategy in accordance with Executive Order 14096, "Revitalizing Our Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All," and aims to adopt a whole-of-government approach to advancing EJ.

In accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Section 1531, the Department of Defense (DoD), Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) has established the Cyber Academic Engagement Office (CAEO) to serve as the consolidated focal point for cyber-related activities carried out between the DoD and academia stakeholders.

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:

Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (USD(A&S)) Dr. William LaPlante traveled to Tokyo, Japan, to launch the inaugural U.S.-Japan Defense Industrial Cooperation, Acquisition, and Sustainment (DICAS) Forum with his Japanese counterpart, Masaki Fukasawa, Commissioner of the Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Agency (ATLA). The visit included several key events aimed at enhancing defense industrial cooperation between the two nations.

The United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) convened the third Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) in Seoul on June 10, 2024. Established to implement the Washington Declaration between the United States and Republic of Korea in April 2023, the NCG is a bilateral consultative body aimed at strengthening the U.S.-ROK Alliance and extended deterrence to contribute to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. will travel to Brussels, Belgium, on June 12 to host an in-person meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) on June 13. This will be the 23rd meeting of the UDCG since Secretary Austin formed the international group in April 2022.

The Department of Defense (DoD) announced today additional security assistance to address Ukraine's critical security and defense needs. This marks the Biden Administration's fifty-ninth tranche of equipment provided from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021. The Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) package, valued at approximately $225 million, aims to supply Ukraine with essential battlefield capabilities including air defense interceptors, artillery systems and munitions, armored vehicles, and anti-tank weapons.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced today that the president has made the following nominations:

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:

The Chief of Staff of the Army has announced several new officer assignments. Brig. Gen. Stephanie R. Ahern will transition from her role as Director, Concepts, Futures and Concepts Center, U.S. Army Futures Command in Adelphi, Maryland, to Director, Strategy, Plans and Policy at the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7 in Washington, D.C.

Within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Angola and the Department of Defense of the United States on Defense Cooperation, signed on May 17, 2017, the inaugural meeting of the Joint Angolan-American Defense Cooperation Committee was held at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, from June 5 to June 6, 2024.