With Pacific Pathways, Army puts multi-domain into action

WASHINGTON (Army News Service) -- Overseas training is helping groom Army units in the Pacific theater for future missions that may require cross-domain tactics to defeat enemies, according to senior leaders.

One set of exercises, Pacific Pathways, has allowed Army units to broaden their training as they deploy across the region for bilateral and multilateral drills with foreign militaries, while working with their sister services. 

"We're moving toward joint integration where we get out of our service stovepipes and look at all of the domains … to present multiple dilemmas to an adversary," Gen. Robert Brown, commander of U.S. Army Pacific, said while speaking at a panel discussion at the Association of the U.S. Army Annual Meeting and Exhibition Oct. 5. 

Things can get complicated, though, in a theater that covers over half the globe, with some of the world's most populous countries and largest armies. There are also hostile adversaries like North Korea testing nuclear weapons, extremist groups spreading terror tactics, and China and Russia pushing their influence into the region. 

To counter future threats, the Army recently introduced a multi-domain battle concept that aims to give Soldiers the ability to adapt and present several challenges to enemies from land, sea, air and cyber. 

Brown said that a multi-domain task force is currently being planned to maneuver land assets that could impact other domains in the region. 

"It's clearly the way of the future," he said. "It can be very difficult for an enemy to handle multiple domains, and at the same time, it presents multiple options to our commanders and our national command authorities."

Army multi-domain operations would hinge on a united front with the other services and their Pacific allies, according to the general. 

"It would deter anybody from being stupid enough to try something against us," Brown said of the new concept. "They would be defeated because of our efforts and our joint integration that we can do that no one else can do."

The concept would eventually require massive upgrades to U.S. military systems in order to share information to all partners involved. 

"We didn't grow up integrated the way we should be," Brown said. "We have systems that can't talk to each other within our own services, let alone between services themselves. It's not an easy thing to accomplish."

To help close gaps in today's partnerships, Army leaders kicked off Pacific Pathways in 2014, a three-part training event where a brigade-level unit and its equipment travels by sea and air to three countries back to back to join in large-scale exercises. 

Training a combat-ready unit in another country not only improves multinational interoperability, officials said, it also opens up the doors to other nations while showcasing the Army's strength to potential foes. 

"If you want to enhance access, and if you want to provide reassurance to our partners and allies, having that forward presence during an operation is extremely important," Lt. Gen. Stephen Lanza, commander of I Corps, said during the discussion.

This year, three Pacific Pathway rotations are being carried out. Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, which Lanza also commands, had two Stryker BCTs take part in rotations in five different countries earlier this year. 

In the three-month rotations, Lanza said Soldiers stretched their training by working with Marines, special operators, and cyber experts, and they honed their skills on ballistic missile defense and aviation assets, including the RQ-11 Raven, a small hand-launched unmanned aerial vehicle.

"We probably get more Raven training on a Pathway than we get at home station," he said, adding that there's also training on other UAVs, such as the RQ-7 Shadow and MQ-1C Gray Eagle.

As the exercises continue to build up, he said, more countries have expressed interest in taking part in them. 

"Pathways have been instrumental in doing that," Lanza said of enhancing multinational relationships. "It's brought other countries into the discussions of where they can embed."

In upcoming Pathway exercises, Army leaders plan to expand the role of reserve-component forces to increase their readiness. In the past year, at least 70 Guard and Reserve units with about 4,200 Soldiers have been integrated into I Corps' missions, Lanza said. 

"That's a significant number when you look at total force and you look at how many different elements and units are embedded in the operations of the exercises that we run with USARPAC," he said. 

The nature of Pacific Pathways, in which units deploy as if they're heading to combat, also allows Soldiers to train in settings similar to those that they may someday find themselves in, responding to conflicts, according to Brown.

"We do enjoy a higher level of readiness in the Pacific than across the rest of the Army, and we should," Brown said of the region's potential threats. "We have to be ready to fight tonight."

Strengthening U.S.-South Korea alliance the focus of bilateral meeting

WASHINGTON -- American and South Korean military leaders met at the Pentagon Thursday to discuss the alliance between the two countries and ways to make the alliance even stronger.

Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stressed to his counterpart, South Korean Army Gen. Lee Sun-jin, that the United States has an ironclad commitment to the defense of South Korea.

This is the 41st Military Committee Meeting between the two countries since 1978.

Also participating in the discussions were Navy Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., the commander of U.S. Pacific Command; Army Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, the commander of Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea; and South Korean Navy Rear Adm. Chung An-ho, acting chief director of strategic planning.

Dunford affirmed that despite the nuclear and missile threat from North Korea, the U.S.-South Korea alliance will continue to grow firmer and stronger, and the U.S. will continue its ironclad commitment to the defense of the Korean Peninsula.

Lee emphasized "proactive cooperation" with the United States, including establishing a practical collaboration system and deployment of the U.S. Army's terminal high altitude area defense anti-ballistic missile system.

Deployment of THAAD is a direct response to North Korea's nuclear and missile program.

NORTH KOREA'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM

Both military leaders strongly denounced North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations, stating they pose a serious threat to the Korean Peninsula, to the region, and to global peace and stability. North Korea first detonated a nuclear device in October 2006. It was the culmination of a secret nuclear program that North Korea is believed to have started in the early 1980s.

The most recent test was last month, and civilian experts estimated the size of the blast was two times that of the Hiroshima bomb in 1945. North Korean newspapers stated the device is small enough to be mounted on a ballistic missile.

In their meeting, Dunford and Lee agreed to continuously develop effective response measures in order to deter, and if necessary, respond to additional provocations from North Korea.

CONVENTIONAL FORCE STRUCTURE

While the North Korean nuclear and missile programs are the most recent threat from the country, the North also maintains large conventional forces. Officials estimate the North Korean army has about 1 million soldiers equipped with around 5,500 tanks, 8,600 artillery pieces, 2,200 infantry fighting vehicles and about 4,800 multiple rocket launcher vehicles. Much of this equipment is antiquated, officials said, but the sheer numbers alone give the North Korean army a significant capability.

North Korea's navy has about 60,000 sailors with submarines, landing ships, three frigates and about 450 gunboats. The North Koreans launched a missile from a submarine in August, escalating an already tense situation.

The North Korean air force has about 110,000 active duty personnel and 940 aircraft. Some of the aircraft are antiquated MiGs, but they also maintain about 30 MiG-29s -- a highly capable multi-role fighter.

North Korea also has a large special operations arm.

North Korea is working on building its cyberwar capabilities, Department of Defense officials said. The December 2014 hack into Sony Pictures, constant hacking of U.S. DoD sites, and attacks against South Korean banks and agencies are just the tip of the iceberg, officials said.

Veteran-Owned Businesses Can And Should Be A Force For Good

Veteran-Owned Businesses Can And Should Be A Force For Good

Here are four reasons why veteran-owned businesses should think about joining the B Corps movement.

Businesses make money. Nonprofits make a difference. At least, that's how many view the divide between doing good and doing well. But for ScoutComms and Hirepurpose, two veteran-owned businesses serving the veteran and military community, there is no distinction between making money and making a difference.

On Sept. 8, as a result of the positive impact our two companies have had in providing services to our customers that support veterans and military families, we were each recognized by B the Change Media as "Best for the World" companies. Honorees set a gold standard for the high impact that business as a force for good can make on important societal issues around the world.

How did this happen? In 2015, our companies were certified — only months apart — as B Corporations, also known as B Corps. The B Corp movement was launched in 2006 by B Lab, a nonprofit organization that serves a global movement of people using business as a force for good. Its vision is that one day companies compete not only to be the best in the world, but the best for the world, contributing to a more shared and durable prosperity.

What makes us different from the more than 1,800 certified B Corporations across over 120 industries and 42 countries is that we are two of the only veteran-owned B Corps, as well as two of the only B Corps supporting the veteran and military communities. We should not be so unique.

Here are four reasons why veteran-owned businesses should think about joining the B Corps movement.

It makes you a better business.

Being a B Corps makes you put a critical eye on a number of the core elements of any business, such as the people you employ, the products and services you sell, and your impact on your community and your environment. It is an honor to be recognized, but the B Corps certification process is also a great way to look at your business and think how about how you can do better. Any veteran-owned business would benefit from a critical analysis.

It channels the desire of veterans to continue serving their country.

We all know and believe that veterans are more likely to volunteer to give back and to serve than non-veterans. B Corps taps into that desire to continue to serve and successfully funnel the energy into the business environment, enabling sustainable for-profit models of doing business while also giving back in a number of ways. Ultimately, a successful B Corps is making an impact in multiple ways, not just the work we do for our clients or the people we employ, but also our significant investments in charitable giving, employee voluntarism, pro bono work, and hiring from the community we serve.

B Corps certification is a differentiator to clients, employees and business partners.

Becoming a B Corps is not easy. It requires you to be transparent, to examine your business model and processes carefully, and to subject yourself to a public review. But because it is more than just a rubber stamp, it is meaningful to have an ethical business model as a B Corps. B Corps certification is verification for us and for everyone we engage with that we are doing something differently, that we care and that we are making a difference.

It proves that you can make profits while making a difference.

We are not charities, but because we have an ethical business model that is focused on how we can do good for the world, we always seek to serve the best interests of our clients and our employees. Ultimately, while we do not replace nonprofits, we fill gaps where they cannot thrive. We are not dependent on the charity of others, as we generate our own resources. We are able, unlike many nonprofits, to keep top talent by paying the salaries and giving them the promotions they deserve.

As profit-driven businesses, we are distinctly not charities. But we are committed to making the world a better place — in our case for veterans and military families — and becoming certified B Corps is a step that helps prove to everyone we engage with that we are serious about our commitment. There is no better feeling than to know that you are doing good while doing well.

Iran Dismisses US Claims of Navy Harassment in Gulf

Iran Dismisses US Claims of Navy Harassment in Gulf

A senior Iranian military commander on Sunday dismissed claims from Washington that US patrol ships have been harassed by Iranian boats in the Persian Gulf, saying Tehran acted according to international law.

"Iranian boats continue to act based on defined standards and are well aware of the international laws and regulations, so the claims are not only untrue, but stem from their fear of the power of Iran's soldiers," said Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri, deputy chief of staff of Iran's armed forces, according to state news agency IRNA.

The Pentagon last week said seven Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps fast-attack boats approached the USS Firebolt on September 4 with their machine guns uncovered, though not trained on the Americans.

It was at least the fifth incident revealed by the Pentagon in the past month, with US military officials repeatedly criticising the Iranian military for its behavior in the Gulf.

But Jazayeri said the claims were exaggerated.

"When Iranian boats pass by them at a distance of a few kilometres, Americans claim that Iranian boats have approached them within a range of one kilometre," he said.

"Iran's marine corps will never be stopped by the propaganda of extra-regional enemies and their vassals in the region in guarding the Islamic Republic of Iran's sea borders and economic interests," he added.

U.S. Navy officials say ships from the two countries interacted more than 300 times in 2015 and more than 250 times in the first half of this year, and claims 10 percent of those encounters were unsafe and unprofessional. 

Funeral for Marine Who Killed Wife's Boyfriend Had Honor Escort

Funeral for Marine Who Killed Wife's Boyfriend Had Honor Escort

On Sept. 3, days before sheriff's office officials announced Marine Staff Sgt. Cody Wade Smith had been killed in self-defense after killing his estranged wife's boyfriend, a retinue of motorcycles bearing American flags gave him a ceremonial funeral escort to his final resting place in Crossville, Tennessee.

Smith, 33, had an honorable 15-year military career that was cut short in what appears to be a horrific crime of passion.

According to official accounts, he was served with divorce papers Aug. 11 after returning home to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, from a deployment to Europe. Some two weeks later, on Aug. 27, he came to his wife's new home near Richlands with intent to kill her and her boyfriend, 43-year-old Gregory Pearce.

Official accounts say he tied up his wife, Monica, fatally shot Pearce and set the house on fire before she broke free and shot him with his own handgun. Onslow County District Attorney Ernie Lee said in a Sept. 7 press conference that the county did not plan to charge her, as officials had found she acted in self-defense.

The tragic situation creates a philosophical dilemma: How does one honor a decorated service member whose life ends, not on the battlefield, but in the commission of a crime?

For the Patriot Guard Riders, a veteran-led organization of volunteers who provide thousands of honor escorts for troops' funerals each year, the lines are simply drawn.

David Westhorp, the Patriot Guard Riders state captain for Tennessee, told Military.com the riders attend funerals only at the request of family members. They accommodate requests with only one exception: if the deceased service member is a veteran who was discharged from the service under less-than-honorable circumstances.

That happens very rarely, Westhorp said.

"If we get a request, we don't go into a background check or anything in depth," he said. "We did do one [escort] for a veteran who died in a bar fight. And we didn't investigate whether or not he provoked the fight or anything else. The fact is, he died."

Westhorp said he had been made aware of the circumstances of Smith's death after the Sept. 7 announcement from the Onslow County Sheriff's Office about their findings. But even if he had had full information prior to getting the request for an honor escort, he said, the guard would have likely accommodated the request.

"We came to honor his military service, not whatever might have happened subsequently," he said. "We are not here to stand in judgment on this."

Smith's family, still reeling from grief and in disbelief about the circumstances surrounding his death, described him as an honorable Marine and a leader who had always wanted to be a Marine. Smith's father, Delbert Smith, of Smyrna, Tennessee, told Military.com he entered boot camp out of high school, just months before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

A platoon sergeant attached to 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, he had completed 11 deployments, including two tours in Iraq and two in Afghanistan.

"He's been shot at, he's been blown up in a Humvee," Smith said. "And then for him to come home and to die this way, there's just, you never expect it to end like this."

Delbert Smith said hundreds of Marines who had served with his son at various points in his career had traveled to Tennessee to attend the funeral. Smith had been approved for promotion to gunnery sergeant, he said, and his new rank insignia were buried with him.

He said he didn't personally request the Patriot Guard Riders -- it's unclear who did -- but he was thankful for their presence.

"They were wonderful. They came out, showed up, paid their respects," he said. "It was a beautiful addition to the funeral. That's something that we will be forever grateful for."

Delbert Smith said a sheriff's deputy had called him personally and described the same account of the double-killing that was later made public. It's an account he said he can't and doesn't believe.

But even if the events of Aug. 27 unfolded just as described in the official account, he said they should not detract from his son's military service.

Duterte Orders US Advisers out of Southern Philippines

Duterte Orders US Advisers out of Southern Philippines

President Rodrigo Duterte ratcheted up his feud with the United States on Monday, ordering all American special forces out of the southern Philippines where they have been advising local troops battling Muslim extremists.

Duterte's order came a week after he called US President Barack Obama "a son of a whore", causing Obama to cancel their scheduled bilateral meeting at a summit in Laos.

The Filipino leader, the first to hail from the south and who claims Muslim ancestry, has been stepping up efforts to bring peace to the southern Philippines, where decades-long insurgencies with Muslim and communist rebels have claimed more than 150,000 lives.

Last month he restarted peace talks with the largest separatist group, the 12,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which like others has been fighting since the 1970s for an independent Islamic state or autonomous rule.

US advisers in the area help train Filipino troops but are barred from engaging in combat except in self-defense.

Previously, about 500-600 US personnel rotated through the Mindanao region but in 2014, then-defense secretary Voltaire Gazmin said this would be cut back to 200.

Duterte did not specify when or how many Americans would be expelled but said the Philippines alignment with the West was at the root of the persistent Muslim insurgency.

"These US special forces, they have to go in Mindanao," he told a gathering of government employees.

"The (Muslim) people will become more agitated. If they see an American, they will really kill him."

The US embassy could not be reached for comment.

The United States is Manila's main military ally and the Philippines' colonial ruler until 1946. In his speech, Duterte showed photographs and cited accounts of how US troops killed Muslims during America's occupation of the Philippines in the early-1900s to explain his decision.

Duterte's spokesman Ernesto Abella said that "the statement reflects (President Duterte's) new direction towards coursing an independent foreign policy".

The Filipino leader also hit out at Obama and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for criticising his bloody crackdown on crime that has claimed 3,000 lives in a little over two months.

"This Obama, when you accuse me of killing... let he who is without sin, cast the first stone," he said.

In a brief encounter in Laos, Obama urged the Filipino leader to conduct his crime war "the right way" and protect human rights, but Duterte has dismissed it as being none of America's business.

US B-1 bombers fly over South Korea in show of force

US B-1 bombers fly over South Korea in show of force

North Korea claimed Friday's test showed it had a nuclear warhead that could be mounted on ballistic missiles, a possibility that increases fears for US allies in the region and also poses a threat to US bases in South Korea, Japan and Guam

A US B-1B Lancer bomber flies over the Osan Air Base, South Korea, on Tuesday.

"Today's demonstration provides just one example of the full range of military capabilities in the deep resources of this strong alliance to provide and strengthen extended deterrence," Brooks said.

On the diplomatic front, the US special envoy on North Korea, Sung Kim, said Tuesday that the US and South Korea will be considering "additional unilateral measures" in response to Pyongyang's latest nuclear test. Kim also said Japan may be included in additional initiatives.

The B-1s that flew over South Korea Tuesday were moved to the Andersen Air Force base in Guam in August as part of what the U.S. Pacific Command calls it Continuous Bomber Presence.

It is the first time the B-1s, which have the largest payload of any US bomber, have been part of the Pacific bomber force in a decade.