Following a U.S. Transportation Command change of command at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, on Friday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III held a news briefing to provide updates about the Middle East, Hurricane Helene response, Ukraine and the trilateral security partnership that the United States participates in with the United Kingdom and Australia.
Earlier last week, Iran launched an “outrageous missile attack against Israel, and you saw once more that the U.S. came to their defense and helped Israel defend itself,” Austin said.
“We condemn this brazen attack by Iran. We’ve been in close conversation with our Israeli counterparts about defending against this kind of attack, and we’ll stay in close coordination with them over the coming days,” the secretary said.
Closer to home, the Defense Department is actively supporting federal, state and local efforts to respond to Hurricane Helene. “This was a tough storm, a lot of loss of life, and a lot of people’s lives changed overnight. And the fact that it went through so many states and created such damage, I think, really presented us, presented the country, with some challenges,” he said.
A South Carolina Army National Guardsman mans a distribution point for food, water and supplies for residents impacted by Hurricane Helene in Pickens, S.C., Oct. 1, 2024. © Army Spc. Turner Horton
“But we’ve been here before, and we will, we will rise to meet the challenge,” Austin added.
Already, thousands of National Guard troops have come to the aid of their home states, activated by their governors, working under the direction of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“We’re going to continue to stay actively engaged on this, and we’ll keep our fellow Americans who have been impacted by the storm in our thoughts,” he said.
Georgia Army National Guard soldiers work with Georgia State Defense Force personnel to unload cases of water during a point of distribution mission in Augusta, Ga., Sept. 30, 2024. Guardsmen mobilized to provide response and recovery support to areas affected by Hurricane Helene. © Army National Guard Spc. Ayanna Tillman
“Additionally, we’re also laser-focused on quickly getting Ukraine the capabilities that it needs,” Austin said, adding that he’s looking forward to the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting next week, in which President Joe Biden will also participate.
Switching subjects to focus on AUKUS, the trilateral security partnership among Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, Austin said that last week’s visit in London with his counterparts from those two nations was productive. He also said that objectives and benchmarks are being met on the optimal path forward to get Australia nuclear-powered, conventionally armed submarines and other critical military technologies.
