President Obama has nominated Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Vice Chairman Adm. James Winnefeld for a second two-year term. At a June 26 Pentagon news conference, Hagel supported Obama’s decision by saying, “I’m very pleased that, with the concurrence of the United States Senate, I will have the opportunity to work with these two distinguished leaders of our country for another two years.” President Obama said Dempsey and Winnefeld have served with “great distinction, deep conviction and absolute integrity over the past two years, and I am confident in saying that our nation is safer and more secure today because of their visionary, dedicated, and tireless leadership.” The Senate Armed Services Committee will consider the nominations on July 18. (Washington report by Claudette Roulo) (See Hagel, Dempsey transcript)(White House statement)
The Senate Armed Services subcommittee on strategic forces heard testimony from the Defense Department’s top missile defense leaders and demanded to know why the Missile Defense Agency's proposed $9.6 billion fiscal 2023 budget will not yield more reliable defense against hypersonic weapons already being fielded by adversaries, including Russia on…