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DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY SABRINA SINGH: OK. All right. Good morning, everyone. I just have one quick thing at the top and then happy to just dive in. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov will visit the Pentagon tomorrow to meet with Secretary Austin. This visit underscores the ongoing commitment of the United States to support Ukraine's sovereignty and security.
Secretary Austin and Minister Umerov will discuss the bilateral defense cooperation, regional security issues and ways to strengthen the defense partnership between the United States and Ukraine. A readout following the meeting will be available online tomorrow. And with that, happy to dive in and take questions.
Q: So can we get a pier update? Are there plans to get the pier back up and running now that you've seen some of the World Food Program some of the feed forward? What's the status on that?
MS. SINGH: The status of the pier right now, as you know, it was disconnected late last week. It was moved to Ashdod for the high sea states. The pier remains in Ashdod right now. We're still assessing when it can be re-anchored when sea states calm a bit. We'll provide an update when I have more for you.
In terms of the distribution, you did see that some distribution did start back up over the weekend. It is going to take a few days to move some of that aid out of the marshaling area that had built up over time. For more on that, I'd refer you to the World Food Program to speak to it, like how long that's going to take. But I just know that the aid is slowly moving out of that marshaling area.
Q: Did DOD have any role in helping encourage World Food Program, that it could get this distribution moving?
MS. SINGH: Well, I mean we have a role in that. We're certainly at the table with USAID, with others in terms of our coordinating efforts when it comes to aid. But this is a decision that was arrived at by the World Food Program, so I'd really refer you to them to speak to their decision to start distribution back up.
Q: US raptor is the first multi-domain exercise with the Japan and South Korea last Saturday. How was the exercise? And did you have any plans to do another exercise with Japan and South Korea?
MS. SINGH: I don't have more on that exercise. Sorry, I was looking for my tablet and I don't seem to have that. I don't have more on that exercise and no plans — I don't have anything to preview in terms of future exercises. I'd refer you to INDOPACOM to speak to anything more that they have planned. Yeah.
Q: OK. One more. Do you have any indication that those Korea sent their troops to Ukraine to support Russia?
MS. SINGH: I don't have anything for you on that. We certainly know that North Korea is supporting Russia's efforts in Ukraine with supplying them different military support, but I don't have anything for you on any specific troops going into Russia at this time. Yeah. Natasha.
Q: Thanks, Sabrina. Do you have any more information about what led to the heightened alert state of the military bases in Europe? Was there any specific intelligence about a particular threat or was this just out of an abundance of caution ahead of some of the bigger events that are happening there?
MS. SINGH: Yeah. As you can appreciate, I won't speak to intelligence matters, but due to a combination of factors and not related to a single threat, but it was due to a combination of factors potentially impacting the safety and security of service members stationed in the European theater. US European Command is taking steps to increase vigilance for our service members, their families and our facilities.
This was done out of an abundance of caution. I won't get into more specifics, other than that, but I'd refer you to EUCOM for any more questions that you have on force protection measures.
Q: And was this for all bases across Europe or was it just for select?
MS. SINGH: Yeah. As you can appreciate, just from here, not going to get into specific locations and bases, but I would refer you to EUCOM to speak to that.
Q: Yes. Can you give us an update on the F-16 pilot and maintainer training? How many pilots and maintainers have graduated? Where are they now? How many are in the pipeline and when can Ukraine expect to see those F-16s?
MS. SINGH: In terms of when Ukraine is going to get the F-16s and start using them, I'd refer you to the Ukrainians to really speak to that. I don't have any updates to provide on pilot training. It's ongoing. I think we had more numbers that we put out a few months ago, but I just don't have any updates from that.
Q: So are there pilots still in the pipeline at the Arizona base?
MS. SINGH: I believe there's still pilots training right now in Arizona.
Q: OK. And just on a different topic, the NATO summit in D.C. is next week. Can you talk a little bit about Secretary Austin's goals for that summit?
MS. SINGH: I think we'll have more to share closer to the NATO summit, not just ready to preview some of that just yet. Of course, he'll be participating in various meetings. The Department of Defense will play a role in the NATO summit, but it is an interagency effort, but we'll have more to you closer to the summit.
Q: Just following up on Lara's question. Sorry, I have a little bit of a cold. I think I'm past the contagious stage. Yeah. I think. So do you have anything on his participation in that summit, like what the schedule is going to be and what he--or any other top people from DOD will be over there?
And also if I could just make a request for some sort of background or ahead of time about the specific DOD perspective on the summit? Thanks.
MS. SINGH: Let us come back to you on a backgrounder for the summit. I will reiterate as you know, but this is not just the DOD taking part in the NATO summit. Of course, this is going to involve state and other agencies that are going to be participating. I candidly do not have his schedule in front of me right now, so I can't go through a readout of sort of what the secretary's schedule looks like at this moment.
I think we'll have more for you in the coming days. He will be doing a variety of events and participating in various meetings. But give us just a little bit more time and we will get back to you on kind of what his engagements look like.
Q: Thanks. On this heightened alert status for US bases in Europe, is this at all correlated like with the Euro Cup and the Olympics? Is this expected to go beyond the status for weeks and weeks or is it short-term more specific?
MS. SINGH: We don't have a timeline. I would refer you to EUCOM to really speak to any changes when it comes to their force protection measures that they're taking. What I can tell you is it's a combination of factors. It's not a single threat. You mentioned some very large, big events that are taking place in Europe. That's certainly a factor, but it's one of many factors. But for more details, I'd refer you to EUCOM.
Q: Hi, Sabrina. The hurricane that's uh threatening in the Caribbean, has the Department of Defense started preparations for that? I mean some of the islands there are almost automatically ask us for aid. What are we doing?
MS. SINGH: Not to my knowledge, but of course we're going to monitor any type of major weather storm like that, but not to my knowledge. If that changes, I'm happy to keep you updated.
Q: OK. Another question. Could you say anything about the potential about the preparations for potential evacuation operation in the Middle East? There was an article about that late last week.
MS. SINGH: Yes, I saw. So obviously, I've seen some of the reporting on that. I think this refers to the Wasp MEU moving into the Eastern Med. We are, of course, a planning organization, but the purpose of the Wasp moving is really to promote regional stability and to be another deterrent in the region.
There are no plans for any type of military assisted departure right now. Of course, we are a planning organization. I've seen some of those reported those reports, but really the Wasp is moving there to bolster deterrence and for regional stability.
Q: So the purpose of leaving it there was security projection rather than it wasn't about preparations for an evacuation?
MS. SINGH: That's right. The purpose of the wasp meu or sorry, the Wasp MEU moving into that AOR is to is power projection. It is to bolster deterrence in the region. It's about regional stability. We are a planning organization, but that is the purpose of why it moved. And you have to remember, and I know, I think I said this at the podium on Friday, that we also had the Ford in the region.
We also had the 26th ARG/MEU was there late last year. So these types of rotations are normal, and this was a planned movement. And so I'll just leave it at that.
Q: So Sabrina, what specific capabilities does the Wasp bring to the region in terms of deterrence?
MS. SINGH: For more specifics, I'd refer you to the Marine Corps to speak to more specifics of the Wasp, but it allows for flexibility, and it provides another capability to the commander in the region. It has 2,000 Marines or over 2,000 Marines on board as well.
This is again just one of those that it was a planned movement. It just provides additional support in the region.
Q: Yeah, yeah. So just getting back to the increased alert status in Europe, you said that the Olympics and those events were one factor. Without getting into the nature of the intelligence, is there anything concrete or specific in the intelligence that's driving this or not?
MS. SINGH: Well, I can tell you that it's not a single threat. I'm not going to get into more specifics on the intelligence itself, but it's not a single threat. It's a combination of different factors that has led to EUCOM taking steps to increase vigilance for our service members, but unfortunately, I'm just going to have to leave it at that.
Q: One more on that.
MS. SINGH: Sure.
Q: Are any of our bases in Indo-Pacific or in CENTCOM under similar, or AFRICOM, under similar threat level raising to Charlie?
MS. SINGH: Well, so we don't usually talk about our force protection levels or any changes, so I would refer you to those various AORs to speak to their force protection measures.
Q: But so is this limited to European command?
MS. SINGH: I would just say that I've seen some of the reporting out of the weekend, the questions that right now are about European Command, there are additional steps that we're taking to increase vigilance for our service members, but I'm just not going to get into any more specifics on force protection.
Q: And you said that you all don't normally talk about this. Clearly, this one was put out there. Why was it put out there? Was there a reason that you wanted kind of everybody who's based in, or their families who are based in Europe to be a little more aware?
MS. SINGH: Look, I can't speak to the why some people feel compelled to talk about some of these changes. What I can just tell you is that the commander for the theater felt that there were additional steps needed to increase vigilance for our service members, for their families. This is also something that happens all around the world.
It's at the commander's discretion and it was out of an abundance of caution. As Liz and others have mentioned, there are a combination of factors, including events that are taking place in that theater that just out of due diligence, it's good to make sure that our service members are taking the precautionary measures that they need to for themselves and their families.
MS. SINGH: Anything else? OK.
Q: Is the commander of European Command capable of speaking to the press?
MS. SINGH: Yes. He is.
Anyone else? OK. All right. Thank you, everyone.
