PRESS SECRETARY JOHN F. KIRBY: Afternoon, everybody. Just a couple of things here at the top. I think you saw yesterday. The Army released a Climate Strategy to counter the existential threat that climate change poses. To the service’s ability to respond to national security challenges and threats. The strategy is nested within the department’s Climate Adaptation Plan and interim national security strategic guidance.
The Army is focusing its climate preparedness and resilience approach on three lines of effort installations, acquisitions in logistics, and training. Among the objectives that are outlined in the strategy our goal to achieve a 50 percent reduction in Army net greenhouse gas pollution by 2030 compared to 2005 levels.
To attain Net Zero Army greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and to proactively consider the security implications of climate change in strategy, planning, acquisition supply chain, and programming documents and processes. Alright, we’re having problems here. Can I have the spare?
Q: I’m sure there’s more after that.
MR. KIRBY: The strategy is available on army.mil. And the Army will be talking about more about it in the coming days. And clear the Secretary appreciates the work that the Army’s doing on these important climate change priorities. In Africa, the annual training exercise Cutlass Express 2022 is underway after an opening ceremony in Djibouti on the sixth of February.
Now in its 20th iteration, Cutlass Express is sponsored by U.S. AFRICOM and led by U.S. Naval Forces, Europe, Africa and U.S. 6th fleet. The exercise is being conducted in the vicinity of Bahrain, Djibouti, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, and the Seychelles until February 17. 14 nations are participating and will conduct several maritime security exchanges to include vessel queries, and ship boardings, airborne maritime patrol operations, and search and rescue drills.
The exercise promotes national and regional security in East Africa…