Atlas V rocket launches 'Silent Barker' spysat for the US Space Force and the DOD National Reconnaissance Office

Silentbarker/NROL-107 is a joint mission of the US Space Force and the DOD National Reconnaissance Office.According to the United Launch Alliance,a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin,it will serve the needs of the DOD and the Intelligence Community by:providing the capability to search,detect and track objects from a space-based sensor for timely custody and event detection.Silentbarker/NROL-107 will strengthen the NRO's ability to provide a wide range of timely intelligence information to national decision makers,warfighters and intelligence analysts to protect the nation's vital interests and support humanitarian efforts worldwide.*The mission was launched from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station,Florida.* Boeing (BA),Lockheed Martin (LMT)

LauncherOne rocket launches “Straight Up” Mission from the Cosmic Girl aircraft for the U.S. Space Force and Department of Defense - several CubeSat payloads for experiments related to advanced communications,navigation and so on

President Trump Participates in the Swearing-In Ceremony for the Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper

Pentagon Responds to Query From Congressmen on a Korean War II - airstrikes not enough

On 27 October 2017,Rear Admiral Michael J. Dumont,US Navy,responded to a letter from Representatives Ted Lieu (D-California) and Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona),who asked the Department of Defense to scope out a possible armed conflict with North Korea for them.They were particularly interested in the expected casualty assessment and the prevention of North Korean retaliation.
RADM Dumont replied that:
We have not seen any change in the offensive posture of North Korea's forces,something we watch very carefully.We remain postured to respond in the event of a provocation or conflict,and we have taken all appropriate measures to protect our Allies,the ROK and Japan,and US Forces in those countries.As military professionals,we prepare for all contingencies and continually review our posture and coalition efforts to deter and respond,if necessary,using the full range of military capabilities.*
Calculating even the roughest "best-or worst-case casualty estimates " for any conventional or nuclear attack is challenging.We continually evaluate what actions North Korea might take,and its capability to attack the ROK,Japan or Guam,and in particular Seoul,with long-range artillery,rockets,and ballistic missiles.In addition to being the capital and the ROK's most densely populated city,Seoul is also just 35 miles from the demilitarized zone.Given Seoul's vulnerability,casualty estimates will vary significantly depending upon the nature,intensity,and duration of a North Korean attack.
Further complicating casualty estimates,is the ability of our ROK-US Alliance Forces to respond to a North Korean attack with counter-battery fire and coalition airstrikes,missions for which we train constantly.We can help mitigate the number of casualties and reduce the duration of  a North Korean attack by maintaining the readiness of our forces and our ability to respond rapidly and decisively.*
The only way to "locate and destroy-with complete certainty-all components of North Korea's nuclear weapons programs" is through a ground invasion.A classified briefing is the best venue for a detailed discussion of our capabilities to counter North Korea's ability to respond and to eliminate North Korea's nuclear weapons located in deeply buried,underground facilities.We would be happy to join the Intelligence Community to address these issues in a classified briefing,RADM Dumont offered.*
President Donald Trump is currently traveling through East Asia to meet with South Korean and Japanese leaders,as well as President Xi Jinping of China,on the North Korea crisis.

Oxford Grad Approved for Defense Secretary Post

Ashton B. Carter was unanimously approved to be the new Secretary of Defense with a bipartisan 25-0 vote by the Senate Armed Services Committee today on Capitol Hill.The nomination now goes to the full Senate for a vote.Dr.Carter was Deputy Secretary of Defense from 2011-13,and had held two other high level Pentagon posts before that.He is a physicist by training and was a Rhodes Scholar who received his doctorate from Oxford University.He never served in the military,yet commands a lot of respect for his longtime dedication to civil service,national security expertise and forthright manner.
At his confirmation hearing before the Committee last week,Dr.Carter provided a summary of his views on the global challenges he is certain to face.Not only is our civilian infrastructure subject to cyber attack right now,but we have to be concerned about our military.One problem is the defence of our networks in DOD.That is not where it should be,if our forces should be engaged with an enemy.We're not anywhere near where we should be as a country.If people would understand how vulnerable we are in cyber space,they would clamour for more.
I certainly hope that we defeat ISIL quickly,but that won't be a lasting defeat.This is a movement that changes and morphs as it moves around the world.I think we need to be thinking about terrorism generally as a continuing threat to national security.They may not be thinking in the ISIL way;they may have something else-or nothing-on their minds.As you know,there are aberrant people out there.
You have to be thinking about the quality,not just the quantity of ships.I certainly think we are the paramount Navy in the world.That's one of the things that makes us a global power.I have a strong interest of maintaining not just the quality,but the quantity of ships as well.
The campaign in Afghanistan has been close to my heart.I've been there a number of times.If I'm confirmed and I ascertain,as the years go by,that we need to change the plan,I will recommend those changes to the President.Our end with regard to ISIL needs to be their lasting defeat.It's important that we have those on the ground there that make sure that once they are defeated,they stay defeated.I very much incline in the direction of supplying defensive arms to Ukraine.
I think that we have two immediate dangers in the Middle East.One is ISIL;and the other is Iran.We're in the early stage of building the force that will keep ISIL defeated.The issue looming over this is the role of Iran in the whole region.
I think it's important to retake territory with local forces on the ground as soon as e can sustain ISIL's defeat.It's important to get that territory back soon,because we don't want them to settle in,or for the people to settle in under their terrible regime.
The issues in the Middle East and Ukraine have developed since we formulated the rebalance to the Asia-Pacific.It is,in my eyes,to continue the pivotal American stability role in that region that has allowed the South Korean miracle.While ISIL and Ukraine are terribly important in their own regard,we have to remember that one-half the population and half the economy of the world is in that region.We're adding ships,electronic warfare,a new bomber-we're buying new capabilities that aren't necessarily useful in Europe or the Middle East;but are in the Asia-Pacific.
I have a long history with the nuclear enterprise.Continuing quality and excellence in the nuclear enterprise is very important,and I am committed to that.
If I am confirmed,I will be confronting some of the most challenging national security problems in a very long time.I would say the world continues to pose challenges to the international order,and the US is indispensable to the solution of these challenges.I'm familiar with what we're doing in the Baltics.We are rotating forces in there to serve as a warning and a tripwire.If we are going to have the greatest military in the world.we can't move in 15-year increments.I think we are in a time where the number and severity of the risks is unlike anything I have ever seen in my life,Dr.Ashton B. Carter told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Chuck Hagel will remain in the post until the full Senate approves his successor.
Update:Dr.Carter was confirmed by the full Senate with a 95-3 vote on 12 February.

The Hagel Resignation-Will It Affect Military Operations?

President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel,the first man to rise from the enlisted ranks of the US Army to the top job at the Pentagon,held several private meetings over the past month,but still couldn't see eye to eye.So the President and Hagel agreed to part ways,and the President started searching for his fourth Pentagon chief in six years.Hagel had been preceded by Bob Gates and Leon Panetta.*
Some observers described Hagel as seeming disengaged at national security meetings.
Perhaps the President needed a fall guy after the Democrats' dismal mid-term election results,losing control of the US Senate,others speculated,and the soft spoken Hagel fit the bill.Believe me,he was up to the job,Hagel's former Senate colleague and fellow Vietnam veteran Senator John McCain,R-Arizona,remarked upon hearing the news.It was the job he was given,where he was never brought into that tight circle inside the White House that makes all the decisions,which has put us into the incredible debacle that we're in today throughout the world,McCain continued.*
For instance,Hagel wrote a letter to National Security Adviser Susan Rice in which he was critical of the administration's Syria policy,according to The New York Times.Hagel was also said to differ with the President over Mr.Obama's plan to close the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay,Cuba.And the White House was consternated when Hagel contradicted the President's view that the ISIL militants were a junior varsity squad,when Hagel described ISIL as an imminent threat to everything America stands for.We must prepare for everything,Hagel said.The only way is to take a steely-eyed look at it.*
The resignation really doesn't affect the way the Pentagon views the world,said Rear Admiral John Kirby,US Navy,spokesman for the Department of Defense.We're going to keep going after ISIL.We're going to move to a train,advise and assist mission in Afghanistan,and will continue to reassure our European allies in the face of Russian agression.Winning is a daily thing that we look at.We are definitely succeeding.We are taking back ground.We constantly assess that,every single day.We're not making any big muscle moves.We think we've got it about right here,RADM Kirby insisted.*
Several service members expressed surprise about the resignation,however,and felt Mr.Hagel wasn't to blame for troop cutbacks and efforts to trim military benefits.That problem rested squarely with Congress.

The DOD Budget:Hard Times,Tough Decisions

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel presented the Pentagon's 2015 budget request to the media Monday.Next week,he will go before Congress with the plan.The proposal would shrink spending by more than 75 billion dollars over the next two years,in line with the recent agreement between Congress and the President to limit defence spending to 446 billion dollars over the next two years,cutting the Army by about 80,000 troops from 520,000 today to around 440,000.The Army National Guard and Reserve would take a 5% cut.Not since before World War II has the Army been this small.*
As we end our combat mission in Afghanistan,this will be the first budget that reflects that,Mr.Hagel said,in a world that is growing more volatile,more unpredictable,and in some ways more threatening to the United States.It is guided by an updated defence strategy focused on defending the homeland against all strategic threats.The Department of Defense will continue to shift its forces and focus to the Pacific and maintain its alliances.We must now adapt,innovate and make difficult decisions.*
As a result of large budget cuts,our future force will face additional risk.We chose to terminate or delay some modernisation programs.On March 1,2013,sequestration set in,costing us 37 billion last fiscal year on top of 487 billion in cuts required by a previous act.Two months ago,Congress provided some relief through 2015,but defence spending remains below the President's requests.
While DOD welcomes the measure of relief and stability,it still forces us to cut more than 75 billion dollars,and sequestration remains the law for 2016 and beyond.The military still faces significant modernisation and readiness challenges.Continued sequestration cuts would compromise our national security both over the short and the long term.It would result in a force that is not ready.The resulting force would be too small to implement the President's defence strategy.The proposal balances our national security with the need to be realistic about the budget.
We first focused on management costs.We are paring back contract spending.We cannot achieve our goals without another round of BRAC-base realignment and closure-for 2017.If Congress continues to block this,we will continue to reduce overhead,but this will not be enough.We have to carefully examine our force structure.Our recommendations favour a smaller and more capable force.They have preserved all three legs of the nuclear triad.The forces can project power over great distances and are well-suited to the strategy of rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific region.Special Operations forces for counterterrorism will grow to 69,700 personnel from 66,000 today.*
For the Air Force,we have protected the new bomber,the Joint Strike Fighter and the new refueling tanker.We will also ensure a robust and strong industrial base.We will retire the A-10 fleet,replacing them with the F-35 in the early 2020s.The A-10 cannot survive with more advanced air defence,and its age makes it more difficult to maintain.The Air Force will also retire the 50 year-old U-2 in favour of the unmanned Global Hawk.With its greater range and endurance,it is more effective.
If sequestration is reimposed,the Air Force will have to retire 80 more aircraft and slow down the JSF purchase,as well as take deep cuts to flying hours.*
The proposal will enable the Navy to maintain 11 carrier strike groups.If sequestration remains in 2016,the George Washington will have to be retired before its nuclear refueling.Under the proposal,half of the cruiser fleet will be laid up and modernised for greater capability and lifespan.Two destroyers and one attack submarine a year will continue to be produced.
As for the littoral combat ship,it will be capped at 32 ships instead of 52.I am concerned the Navy is relying too heavily on it.We need to closely examine whether it can operate and survive on its own.It would represent one-sixth of our Navy.We must have platforms that will operate in all environments.I have directed the Navy to design a new frigate/small surface combatant.*
The Marine Corps will draw down to 182,000 from 190,000.If sequstration resumes,it will have to go down to 175,000.We will devote about 900 Marines to embassy security.
The Army will terminate the ground combat vehicle program.I have directed the Army and Marine Corps for more realistic recommendations.
This force would be decisively able to prevail in a ground combat theatre,while actively supporting the Navy and Air Force in another theatre,Secretary Hagel promised.*
In sum,the proposed force would be able to fight 1.5 wars simaltaneously.The Air Force will retire its A-10 ground attack planes and U-2,but preserve its major fighter,bomber and tanker buys,as well as the Global Hawk unmanned surveillance aircraft.The Navy will keep 11 carrier strike groups,cut the littoral combat ship from 52 to 32,modernise its cruisers,and keep building two destroyers and one attack submarine a year,while also designing a new frigate/small surface comabatant.All three legs of the nuclear deterrant will be preserved:sea,air and land.Special Ops forces will grow,but the conventional Army and Marine Corps units will shrink.
As always,Congress must approve this proposed budget,which will probably not happen in total.More likely,bits and pieces of it will be approved over time with modifications.The rest will be delayed or abandoned.One thing is sure:the military will be changed over the next few years as the Afghan War ends and budget cuts are imposed.The question is,how orderly this will be,and hence how much damage will be done to national security.

Transit Center at Manas:Gateway To Hell Closing Down

The US Department of Defense has announced it has begun closing down the Transit Center at Manas International Airport,or TCM,in Kyrgyzstan,Central Asia.The so-called "Gateway To Hell" has long been a critical staging area for US and international forces on the way to the frontlines in Afghanistan.The air base is slated for closure by July 2014,when the agreement between the US and Kyrgyz governments on hosting TCM expires.*
The US Government appreciates the support provided by the Kyrgyz people to US forces and coalition efforts to counter the threat of terrorism and to achieve security and stability in Afghanistan and the region,and respects the decision of the Government of Kyrgyzstan to end hosting the Transit Center at Manas after more than 12 years,the DOD said.The US will continue to support the International Security Assistance Force mission in Afghanistan while working closely with Kyrgyzstan to manage the relocation effort.The US intends to continue supporting the democratic and economic development of the former Soviet Republic and developing further our bilateral relationship in the years ahead.*
TCM is operated by the US Air Force 376th Air Expeditionary Wing.Aircraft based there over the years have included F-15Es;US Marine Corps F/A-18 Super Hornets;F-16s;C-5 Galaxies;C-130s;and KC-135 tankers.Nagged by Russia and China,Kyrgyzstan has chafed at the base's presence at times,nearly shutting it down prematurely and hiking compensation.*
Most US and coalition forces will leave Afghanistan by 31 December 2014.An agreement between the US and the Afghan government to allow a limited US military presence beyond that date has been drawn up and is awaiting approval by the Loya Jirga,an Afghan assembly of elders,leaders and other prominent individuals,within a month.In the past,the Loya Jirga has gone along with President Hamid Karzai's wishes.*

US Navy Ship Status Part 2-plus DOD news

All dates are 2012.
Littoral combat ships:
The commissioning ceremony for the USS Fort Worth(LCS 3) was held September 22,2012 in Galveston,Texas.Coronado(LCS 4) was christened January 10 at Austal USA in Mobile,Alabama.The keel-laying ceremony for Jackson(LCS 6) was held October 18 at Austal USA.The construction contract for Little Rock(LCS 9) was awarded to Lockheed Martin on March 16;the same day,the company was awarded the construction contract for Omaha(LCS 11).
Also on March 16,Austal USA was awarded construction contracts for Gabrielle Giffords(LCS 10) and Sioux City(LCS 12).
Amphibious ships:
America(LHA 6) was christened October 20 at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula,Mississippi.A construction contract for Tripoli(LHA 7) was awarded May 31 to the company.USS San Diego(LPD 22) was commissioned May 19 at her San Diego home port.
Anchorage(LPD 23) was delivered September 17 from Avondale Shipyard,New Orleans.Arlington(LPD 24) was delivered December 7 from Ingalls Shipbuilding.Somerset(LPD 25) was christened July 28 at Avondale Shipyard.
A construction contract for pre-commissioning unit LPD 27 was awarded to Ingalls Shipbuilding on July 27.
DOD News:
Chuck Hagel was sworn in as Secretary of Defense on February 23,2013 and has attended his first cabinet meeting.He is the first former enlisted man to assume the office.Hagel is a decorated Vietnam veteran of the US Army.
Lockheed Martin was awarded a contract for the next batch of F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike fighters.The company was also awarded a US Navy contract for a long range anti-ship missile.
The Pentagon said all major weapons programs will proceed,regardless of the budget impasse.
Lockheed Martin(LMT),Huntington Ingalls Industries(HII)

Intelligence Special:NGA Receives Joint Meritorious Unit Award

An obscure Defense Department agency,the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency,or NGA,received a Joint Meritorious Unit Award on January 11.Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter presented the honour.It was bestowed for extraordinary contributions to the warfighter and national defense from January 1 to December 31,2010.
The award consists of a framed citation and service ribbon.
Carter hailed NGA as a constant source of innovation,aiding our efforts in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations,using new sensors,technologies and analytic methods.NGA's success on the battlefield in all phases of operations prompted many tactical commanders to declare they would never go to war without NGA.
Attending the ceremony were Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper and NGA Director Letitia A. Long.Long,the first woman to head a US intelligence agency,said every employee played an important role in the effort.NGA will continue to be totally dedicated to providing the highest quality GEOINT products,information and knowledge to support our many mission sets.
Geospatial intelligence,or GEOINT,is the exploitation and analysis of imagery and geospatial information to describe,assess and visually depict physical features and geographically referenced activities on the Earth.NGA provides timely,relevant and accurate GEOINT in support of national security.

National Security Cutters Joining the Fleet

The U.S. Coast Guard's National Security Cutter program is right on track.Three of the planned eight vessels have been delivered,and a fourth is under construction. The NSC is the Coast Guard's largest cutter.It is 418 feet long,with a beam of 54 feet.The ship can carry up to two helicopters or unmanned aerial vehicles.With a crew of 108,an NSC can sail at up to 28 knots on its three engines.Its armament consists of a Mk110 57mm gun,as well as a Phalanx Mk 15 CIWS,or Close-In Weapons System,and four M2 .50-caliber machine guns. Some of the missions the NSCs have been on include drug interdiction;Arctic patrol;and operations and exercises abroad in support of the Department of Defense.Huntington Ingalls Industries and Lockheed Martin are the program's prime contractors. The oldest of the NSCs is USCGC Bertholf(WMSL 750),which was commissioned in 2008. Huntington Ingalls Industries(HII),Lockheed Martin(LMT)

New DIA Campus Gets Green Light

The Intelligence Community Campus-Bethesda,a redevelopment project led by the Defense Intelligence Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,has received design approval by the National Capital Planning Commission.Work on the 300 million dollar facility,an airy office block concept,is expected to begin within a few months,with completion of the rectangular building in just over a year's time.
The DIA currently has facilities spread around the national capital region,as do its counterparts at the Central Intelligence Agency.Just who will be using the campus besides the DIA itself has not been disclosed,but the CIA is a possibility,along with perhaps the sprawling National Security Agency,the DIA's Department of Defense colleagues.
The Bethesda,Maryland complex is located on the former site of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency,which was relocated to Fort Belvoir,Virgina,as part of the Base Realignment and Closure process in 2005.Neighbors in the affluent Palisades housing estate nearby were none too pleased with the parking garage for the ICC-B,fearing it would block their views of the Potomac River and lay waste a wooded area.The Planning Commission,however,is insisting that the DIA and Army Corps drastically scale the garage footprint back.The Army Corps said it didn't know if it could reach that goal,but it would try.
Some 3,000 intelligence staffers are to work at the sophisticated compound off Macarthur Boulevard,near the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.The DIA is the principal provider of information on foreign military intentions and capabilities to combatant commanders,defense policy makers,and troops in the field,preventing strategic surprise and delivering a decision advantage to them in the interests of the national security of the United States.Its director is a three star military officer-currently Lieutenant General Ronald L. Burgess,Jr.,U.S. Army.
The DIA has a workforce of about 7,000 military and civilian personnel,who deploy worldwide alongside warfighters and interagency partners in support of military planning,operations and weapons acquisition.

Honors:Specialist Faith R. Hinkley

A former high school cheerleader and National Honor Society member,Specialist Faith R. Hinkley,U.S. Army,23,died on 7 August during a rocket attack in Iskandariya,Iraq.Specialist Hinkley,the latest of more than two dozen female service members to die in the Iraq War,was killed by shrapnel as she and two comrades attempted to take shelter in a bunker when their office came under militant attack.
A Human Intelligence Collector with the 502nd Military Intelligence Battalion,201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade from Joint Base Lewis-McChord,Washington,Specialist Hinkley was a native of Monte Vista,Colorado,and the second resident of that town to be killed in the Iraq War.The first was U.S. Marine Corps Corporal Glen R. Martinez.Specialist Hinkley had enlisted in August,2007 after studying for a year at the University of Colorado,surprising those who knew her.She had received the National Defense Service Medal,Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon,and was to return home in about a month.Her brigade had deployed to Iraq last September.It was her first deployment.
Corporal Martinez died in May,2008 when the Humvee he was riding in struck a roadside bomb near Fallujah.Monte Vista is a small farm town of 4300 in Southern Colorado's San Luis Valley.
As of 24 August,4407 U.S. service members had died in the Iraq War,according to the Defense Department.U.S. combat operations in Iraq have formally ended,but training and advice missions will continue for some time in support of the young democracy,as will special forces counterterrorism activity.Iraq will remain an unpredictable and dangerous posting,regardless of one's military operational specialty or location.

China Builds Navy Base

China is building a navy base on its southern island of Hainan,according to a Pentagon assessment.The base appears large enough to accommodate a mix of attack and ballistic missile submarines,as well as advanced surface combatant ships,the report states.It goes on to say that the port has underground facilities and would provide the Chinese navy with direct access to vital international sea lanes,and offers the potential for stealthy deployment of the submarines into the deep waters of the South China Sea.China is working toward building its first aircraft carrier,and is augmenting its fleet of attack submarines.China is also building up its stock of highly accurate cruise missiles.This military expansion is regarded as curious,since no one is directly threatening China at the moment.Just what these programs are for remains a puzzle to the Defense Department analysts.

Gates Unveils 2010 Budget

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has released his 2010 defense budget proposal.Mr.Gates says he is just trying to get the irregular warfare guys to have a seat at the table.He is shifting the emphasis to less costly systems that are appropriate to today's low intensity conflicts,not tomorrow's wars.Mr.Gates dismissed the "exquisite" weapons that characterized Pentagon thought in recent times.He is also rolling back the number of contracts from 39% of defense work to the pre-9-11 figure of 26%,as defense projects are moved in house.The 2010 proposal calls for 31 new F/A-18 fighter jets for the Navy;increasing special operations forces by 2800;increasing the Marine Corps by 27,000;halting the DDG 1000 Zumwalt destroyer at three ships,while returning to the Arleigh Burke class destroyer;canceling the new light armored vehicles in favor of the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles;adding two billion more for surveillance systems;accelerating the production of F-35 fighters to 30 in 2010,up from 14 in 2009;and increasing the number of helicopter maintenance crews and pilots for Afghanistan service.The budget is for 534 billion dollars,an increase of 20 billion over 2009.

Admiral Examines Prison Camps

Admiral Patrick Walsh,Vice-Chief of Naval Operations,has been surveying the situation at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba.The seven prison camps there hold enemy combatants from the Global War on Terror.With his Defense Department team,the admiral found that the camps currently meet all standards of humane treatment.They are in compliance with Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of prisoners of war.Over more than 13 days,Admiral Walsh and the team conducted more than 100 interviews,as well as announced and unannounced inspections.They talked to a number of detainees.Admiral Walsh said the chain of command consistently seeks to go beyond the minimum standards of Article 3.There are still about 245 detainees in the camps,which President Obama has ordered closed within a year.

Honors:Afghan War Toll

As of Sunday,634 U.S. personnel had died serving in Operation Enduring Freedom.One of them was a Department of Defense civilian.Among the military deaths recently were two Marines.Lance Cpl.Alberto Francesconi of the Bronx,New York was killed in action on 1 January in Helmand Province.He was 21.On 11 January,Lance Cpl.Daniel R. Bennett of Clifton,Virginia also died in Helmand Province,but of non-combat causes at age 23.Both Marines were members of 3rd Battalion,8th Marine Regiment,2nd Marine Division,2nd Marine Expeditionary Force,out of Camp Lejeune,North Carolina.Besides Afghanistan itself,Operation Enduring Freedom is supported from Ethiopia,Jordan,Yemen and at least 12 other countries,where some of the deaths have occurred.