National Security

US Army Chief of Staff on Defending the Country From Security and Fiscal Challenges

July 25, 2014

Watch the full session with US Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno on the Army’s role in defending the country.

The 2014 Aspen Security Forum in Aspen, Colorado, opened with a candid discussion about the US Army’s role in defending the nation not just against security challenges, but fiscal challenges as well. US Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno, interviewed by New York Times national security correspondent David Sanger, surveyed the global scene and explains how the Army can meet the threats facing the US.

Watch clips from the full session below.

Iraqi Security Forces

In the months since ISIS has ramped up its attacks in Iraq, the question of the Iraqi security force’s ability to protect its own citizens has come into even sharper focus. Sanger asked Odierno how prepared he had expected the Iraqi forces to be after the US troops left in 2011. Above, Odierno shares his perspective on what went wrong.

Cyber Warfare

Above, Odierno explains the three ways the Army looks at using cyber apparatus as part of its defense arsenal: national cyber, operational cyber, and tactical cyber. Calling it an “absolutely essential” part of US defense, Odierno said, “we have to use every tool available to us… [cyber] will become an integral part of that.”

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