At his recent meeting with the Thai Prime Minister and defense leader in Bangkok, Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) Lloyd Austin noted how America’s unparalleled network of allies and partners allows the U.S. to “walk and chew gum at the same time.”
This was primarily in reference to promoting its security interests in Asia and the Pacific while the U.S. increases its commitment to NATO and supporting Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.
Defense Department News reported on how the U.S. is defending both regions, noting that:
…the U.S. military has worked to reassure NATO allies with the addition of more than 20,000 U.S. service members in the European theater. At the same time, there are 300,000 service members serving in the Indo-Pacific.
Austin earlier spoke at the Shangri-La Asian security summit in Singapore.
There Austin delivered a major speech about “the centrality of this region to vital U.S. interests and the vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific that we share with our regional allies and partners.”
The Secretary also used the gathering of defense ministers to participate in bilateral and trilateral meetings with allies and partners.
These included Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Australia and China.
According to DOD News:
The secretary plainly laid out U.S. concerns and proposals for the region. He spoke about the need for communication between China and the United States to lessen the chances of an escalation. He spoke of concerns over China’s behaviors as it tries to assert control over international waterways and air lanes. He also said the United States “never shies away from honest competition, but we don’t seek conflict, nor do we seek a region that’s split into hostile blocks.”
The dialogue “was an important opportunity to raise our concerns about the potential for instability in the Taiwan Strait and to underscore that our long-standing policy toward Taiwan is unwavering and unchanged,” he said.
Austin worked with allies to increase cooperation across the region.
His stop in Bangkok is another piece of this effort to increase cooperation across the region. The United States military is working with Thailand’s forces to modernize the military. Discussions centered on this and increasing the complexity of an already large exercise program headlined by the Cobra Gold series.
Austin assured America’s allies that even with the increased focus on countering “Russia’s unjustified, unprovoked assault” on Ukraine, the bottom line is that the United States can effectively manage major issues in two theaters and with two competitors simultaneously, and then some.
The SECDEF noted that the number of operations, exercises, and training events that the U.S. has conducted with Indo-Pacific allies and partners over the past year “… is impressive in and of itself.”
ALD
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
Paul Crespo is the Managing Editor of American Liberty Defense News. As a Marine Corps officer, he led Marines, served aboard ships in the Pacific and jumped from helicopters and airplanes. He was also a military attaché with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) at U.S. embassies worldwide. He later ran for state and federal office, taught political science, wrote for the editorial board of a major newspaper and had his own radio show. A graduate of Georgetown, London and Cambridge universities, he brings decades of experience and insight to the issues that most threaten our American liberty – at home and from abroad. To read more go to: paulcrespo.com.
Yes.
Because everyone knows how successful most countries are in fighting a two-front war. We did it and “single-handedly” won WWII (the Russians only acted as a distraction so we could occupy Europe and the Commonwealth held our coats for us)…
Our military is only as good as its CinC. Hey SecDef, better make sure your shoes are tied before you get to chewing and stepping.
Kabul’s not that far in your rear view mirror.
That is so true
For real Austens blowing smoke outta his rear. He doesn’t have a clue about China’s capabilities.
Austin doesn’t know a thing about about military or government operations. He tries to put up a good front pretending and faking to know what he is talking about, like bidens press secretary and liberal regime.
Same Secdef that said we didn’t have the capability to properly evacuate Afghanistan?
NOT If were still Woke , China wins when WE are Woke
Yes!!! Thoroughly Marxist Milley and Austin III can grovel and crawl to Russia and Communist China at the same time.
We certainly were capable of dealing with pretty much anything the world tossed at us, until January 20, 2020…. Since then, the government has been more worried about how to fill their pockets and steal what has not been stolen yet, than helping the USA.
I grew up in Georgia, was in the service during Nam and if this is what is leading our Military now WE ARE IN TROUBLE BIG TIME…
Uhh…yeah, that’s why we turned tail and ran from Afghanistan. LOL!
If it were really as simple as walk and chew gum at the same time. I was on a number of operations in 24 years in the Army. Every time a top leader blathers like this, they really don’t care about anything other than their own reputation.
Even worse, the disaster in Afghanistan, Austen and Milley have shown proven they cannot walk and chew gum at the same time. Or at least they can’t, if they are relying on Biden to provide any leadership at all. If there is another crisis and Biden totally blows it again, Austen and Milley will rush to cover their butts.
As an old soldier, I had been willing to give Milley the benefit of the doubt. One of his speeches changed all that. He said he had lost 248 soldiers in his command during his time in Iraq and Afghanistan. A true leader may know a number like that but a self centered clod like Milley wears it like a badge of honor. He is a glory hound, willing to get people killed if it makes him look good. He is a disgrace to that uniform he said that he would have let China know what our plans were, if conflict was on the horizon. That is the definition of a traitor in my book.
Hey Austin! Remember Afghanistan? Not that long ago!
Thanks for letting me be part of your community.
BTW…Austin can neither chew or get off the pot. He has “retention”.
Austin is oblivious to the real world.
Thanks for letting me be part of your community.
Austen (and Milley) can neither chew or walk; they have serious retention.
Austen (and Milley) can neither chew or walk; they have serious retention.
We can do it. But the real question is, will we do it? Our current leadership doesn’t seem to be showing much resolved when it comes to national security.
I don’t believe one word this Obama’s fake warrior says. Best examples are Iraq and Afghanistan withdrawals under his incompetent woke command. He is just as incompetent and worthless as illegitimate mindless guy who appointed him.
I have zero faith in any of *Biden’s appointees, Austin is a joke, and Meeley Mouth Traitor Milley should have been court martialed for conspiring with CCP during his Trump tenure. Like all things in this truly terrible administration, these people have been appointed either because of skin color or their level of loyalty to their Marxist Globalist Leaders.