Chairman affirms nuclear deterrence as top priority

Published June 17, 2013
By Tech. Sgt. Thomas Dow
Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey spoke with Airmen, spouses and local community members during a Town Hall meeting at Dock 1 here, June 17.

More than 1,000 attendees from Team Minot attended the event.

During his opening remarks, Dempsey said he came up to Minot because he wanted a chance to interact with those performing what he called, "the vital work for our nation."

He went on to say that throughout the life of the B-52 and intercontinental ballistic missile force, there has been a history of silent, dedicated service often in times of hardship and uncertainty.

The over-arching topic of discussion for the event was budget concerns. The concerns ranged from how sequestration would affect the nuclear mission to whether or not Airmen's base pay will be cut.

On the topic of readiness and the nuclear enterprise, Dempsey said, "Our Nation will never fail to do what is right. We will find the resources to do what is needed."

He continued by stating, "Our number one priority is the defense of the homeland. What does that mean? It means making sure we maintain a credible and reliable nuclear deterrent."

"The nuclear enterprise is a top priority because it has kept us safe for the last 60 years," he added.

Dempsey also fielded questions from the audience relating to the isolated environment that Airmen from Minot face on a daily basis.

He regaled the audience about the three years he spent patrolling the West German border as a young lieutenant in a remote and austere environment, quite similar to North Dakota.

But the general said this gave him a sense of service and duty, probably before many of his classmates.

"There is something extraordinary about doing something above and beyond what others are doing," said Dempsey.

He also said there must be a balance of character and competence in one's life.

"You need to wake up in the morning and think about how to be a better person," said Dempsey. "In our profession, you need to be able to count on the person to your left and right."

Dempsey also discussed the importance of tackling the issue of sexual assault in the military.

"We are working this issue as hard as anything, and at the highest level," said Dempsey.

He said leadership is looking for additional measures to combat sexual assault, some via the Uniform Code of Military Justice and some via policy changes. There is a need to get a hold of the issue on the front end in order to change the climate.

"What I need is the leaders at the tactical level to not accept it (sexual assault)," said Dempsey.

In his closing remarks, Dempsey noted the majority of the questions pertained to budget concerns. He said it is his responsibility to try to give civilian and military members a sense of certainty with regards to budget cuts and sequestration.

He stated that going year by year is what causes the uncertainty and the goal is to forecast budgets in order to allow servicemembers to plan for the future.