The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 14, 2012

Statement by the Press Secretary on the Senate Passage of the Transportation Bill

Maintaining a world class infrastructure system is critical to creating an economy built to last. Our country needs and deserves a commitment to surface transportation that will create jobs by rebuilding and modernizing our roads and bridges and allows us to compete and grow in the global economy.  

We are pleased that Senators have continued the tradition of working across the aisle to pass a bill that keeps Americans at work maintaining our nation’s vital infrastructure and provides states and localities the certainty they need to plan ahead. We are hopeful that the House will move swiftly and in similarly bipartisan fashion to do the same.

The Obama Administration will also continue to work with Congress to make additional investments to create jobs right now and to provide longer-term funding to support economic growth and competitiveness for generations to come.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 14, 2012

President Obama Announces Grant Colfax as New Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama announced the appointment of one of the nation’s leading public health policy experts as the Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP). Grant Colfax, MD, Director of the HIV Prevention Section in the San Francisco Department of Public Health will coordinate the continuing efforts of the government to reduce the number of HIV infections across the United States. A component of the White House Domestic Policy Council, ONAP emphasizes prevention through wide-ranging education initiatives and helps to coordinate the care and treatment of citizens with HIV/AIDS.  

“Grant Colfax will lead my Administration’s continued progress in providing care and treatment to people living with HIV/AIDS,” said President Obama. “Grant’s expertise will be key as we continue to face serious challenges and take bold steps to meet them.  I look forward to his leadership in the months and years to come."

ONAP coordinates with the National Security Council and the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator, and works with international bodies to ensure that America’s response to the global pandemic is fully integrated with other prevention, care, and treatment efforts around the world. Through the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) initiative, the U.S. has made enormous progress in responding to the global HIV/AIDS pandemic, working with countries heavily impacted by HIV/AIDS to help expand access to treatment, care, and prevention.  

Grant Colfax, MD, was most recently Director of the HIV Prevention Section in the San Francisco Department of Public Health.   Dr. Colfax is a graduate of Harvard Medical School and completed his medical residency at the University of California, San Francisco. His work focuses on collaborating with community stakeholders to implement sustainable, evidence-based HIV prevention and treatment interventions and policies in public health settings and measuring their effectiveness. Under his leadership, San Francisco greatly expanded HIV testing and treatment support efforts. Until assuming his ONAP role, Dr. Colfax was also an NIH- and CDC supported scientist studying HIV testing strategies, clinical trials of medications to treat substance dependence, and biomedical HIV prevention interventions. Dr. Colfax was a practicing clinician at the Positive Health Program, San Francisco’s premier public HIV clinic.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 14, 2012

Joint Fact Sheet: The U.S.-UK Partnership for Global Development

In May 2011, President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron reaffirmed our mutual commitment to improving the lives of the world’s poorest people through the U.S.-UK Partnership for Global Development.  Through the Partnership, we are working together to achieve better results by advancing economic growth; preventing conflict in fragile states; improving global health, particularly for girls and women; strengthening mutual accountability, transparency, and measurement of results; and mitigating the effects of climate change. 

We have followed through on these commitments in multiple ways, through coordinated development cooperation at a country level, joint responses to new and emerging crises, and combined advocacy efforts to strengthen international action.

Economic Growth - Inclusive economic growth, driven by a strong private sector, is vital for reducing poverty.  The UK is actively supporting the U.S. 2012 Presidency of the G8, which will focus on food security, agriculture, and nutrition.  In 2013, the UK will host the G8 with active support from the U.S.  We will achieve the financial pledges we made at the 2009 L’Aquila G8, and reaffirm the commitment we made then to the Rome Principles for collective global action. We will take concrete steps to strengthen food security in Africa, working with African countries, other development partners, and especially the private sector. We will encourage investments in agricultural development and large scale interventions to promote inclusive economic growth and alleviate hunger.

Conflict and Fragility - In 2011, the Horn of Africa faced a major humanitarian crisis caused by drought in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia. The U.S. and UK, as the two largest bilateral donors, have been in the vanguard of a major international response to meet the needs of 13.3 million affected people – focusing resources and attention on immediate needs, building resilience, and strengthening long-term development to improve self-sufficiency.  Jointly, we are co-sponsoring a donor event in March 2012 to improve resilience in the Horn of Africa and have established a ministerial-level “Resilience Political Champions Group” to sharpen the political commitment to helping countries become more resilient to the increasing number and severity of natural disasters.

At the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan, the U.S. and UK endorsed a New Deal for Engagement in Fragile States.  Through its implementation, we are working with the Government of Afghanistan and others to develop progress measures for reforms, which can provide a basis for our assistance, and are coordinating closely to address fragility during the transition through promoting sustainability and inclusive economic growth.  We are developing other pilots in South Sudan and Liberia. 

Global Health, Girls and Women - Investment in reproductive, maternal, and newborn health saves lives and is highly cost effective.  In June 2011, at the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization Replenishment Conference, the U.S. and the UK worked together to secure commitments that exceeded GAVI’s $3.7 billion request by $500 million.  The funds pledged will allow GAVI to immunize more than 250 million children in the world’s poorest countries by 2015, preventing more than 4 million premature deaths.

The U.S. and the UK continue to provide strong support to the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, honoring our significant financial pledges, encouraging new donors, and supporting its new leadership, strategy, and reform plan.

As key members of the Alliance for Reproductive, Maternal, and Newborn Health, we are working to accelerate progress in ten focus countries that account for the majority of maternal and neonatal mortality worldwide.  Consistent with the Alliance’s 2011 progress report, the UK will host a major international event in July to galvanize support for increasing women’s access to family planning.  The U.S. and UK are also serving together on the Steering Committee for the Child Survival Call to Action to end preventable child deaths in this generation.  

Aid Effectiveness - The U.S. and UK recognize the catalytic role that effective development cooperation plays in alleviating poverty and are committed to getting value for money for our taxpayers.  In Busan we supported a range of major international commitments to strengthen the effectiveness of development efforts, and the U.S. joined the UK as a signatory of the International Aid Transparency Initiative.

Linked to this, the U.S. and UK worked with seven other countries to establish the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in 2011.  The U.S. currently chairs the OGP with Brazil, and the UK will take over the U.S. co-chair in April 2012.  This innovative partnership between governments and civil society commits governments to new levels of transparency and accountability to result in better responsiveness and services for their citizens.  Over 50 countries have already signed up.

Climate Change - Climate change threatens to reverse the progress we’ve made in reducing poverty, as it is the world’s poorest who are among the most vulnerable to a changing environment.  Both the U.S. and UK continue to support scaling-up actions and mobilizing finance, both public and private, for initiatives to reduce emissions resulting from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries.  We are also collaborating closely to increase resilience of communities to climate change and supporting the development and deployment of clean energy technologies as part of our collective commitments to global action.

Looking forward - Our partnership remains vibrant and vital.  We remain strongly focused on reducing global poverty and recognize that progress can be accelerated by embracing new partnerships and new innovations. That is why the UK recently joined USAID’s “Saving Lives at Birth” Grand Challenge for Development, to identify and scale up transformative approaches that save the lives of mothers and newborns in rural areas of the developing world at the time of birth.  More broadly, we are building on the substantial progress at Busan and elsewhere in engaging with emerging market countries such as Brazil, Russia, India, and China, and with the private sector, to support the creation of the new Global Partnership and engage these countries in poverty eradication. 

Finally, we continue to maintain our strong commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including co-hosting an annual MDG Countdown event at the UN General Assembly to showcase excellent results and progress towards each of the MDGs.  We are actively participating in international and intergovernmental discussions on a post-2015 reaffirmation of the importance of ending world poverty and renewal of our international commitment to achieve this. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 14, 2012

Joint Fact Sheet: U.S. and UK Counterterrorism Cooperation

Today, President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron reaffirmed their commitment to continue close bilateral cooperation on global counterterrorism issues.  For decades, and especially since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the U.S. and UK have engaged in unprecedented and unparalleled information-sharing and cooperation to strengthen our joint resolve and effectiveness against terrorist threats.  Many of our joint achievements must remain secret, but we can acknowledge that day-to-day interaction by dedicated U.S. and UK professionals has led to many noteworthy successes, particularly against al-Qa’ida, its affiliates and adherents, saving countless lives.  

Securing the U.S. and UK Homelands:  U.S. and UK cooperation has led to the disruption of multiple terrorist operations planned on U.S. and UK soil.  In 2006, close U.S.-UK cooperation led to the disruption of a large-scale al-Qa’ida plot against transatlantic aviation, which if executed would have had global impact.  Critical information flow between the U.S. and UK governments led to the plotters arrests.  In 2004, UK authorities disrupted a cell plotting to attack the New York Stock Exchange and World Bank headquarters, among other targets, in the United States. 

Protecting Citizens from across the Globe:  Bilateral counterterrorism cooperation has been essential in preventing numerous terrorist attacks over the last decade, including in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.  Over the last decade, U.S. and UK Forces have seamlessly collaborated on CT-related combat operations, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Additionally, the U.S. is the UK’s closest foreign partner in helping to ensure a safe and secure Olympic Games in London; the event will attract over 2 million visitors from across the globe.

Safeguarding Global Transit: The U.S. and UK work closely to deter attacks that seek to exploit the global transit and communication system. Joint initiatives that advance transport security, counter piracy, defend cyber space and information systems, and interdict weapons smuggling serve to protect the means by which our increasingly interconnected world operates.  In 2010, for example, British authorities removed from a U.S.-bound cargo plane an explosive device planted by al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula that was set to explode over the United States.

Upholding Standards of Law and Order: Bilateral law enforcement and intelligence cooperation has led to arrest and conviction of numerous terrorist operatives and supporters.  Whether it be the 2009 30-year conviction in the U.K. of a terrorist cell leader planning to blow up planes mid flight between the UK and America and Canada or the 2010 apprehension of a British Airways software engineer who was providing support to al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula attack planning, U.S. and UK law enforcement professionals uphold the highest criminal justice standards as they relentlessly work to protect the public.

Denying Terrorists Safe-Haven: The U.S. and UK share a common understanding of the underlying conditions that terrorists exploit to secure safe-haven.  The governments consult each other regularly and maximize comparative advantages to ensure international development efforts, institution-building and reform initiatives and capacity building including building resilience to counter extremist ideology and undermining violent extremists’ attempts to justify terrorism.  Our foreign assistance programs complement shared objectives and promote stability and security in some of the most difficult terrain around the world, including in Afghanistan, where our forces have been engaged since 2001.  We collaborated to help set up the Global Counterterrorism Forum to mobilize resources and expertise for countries confronting the global threat.  This shared vision was also displayed during the recent UK-hosted Somalia conference, as Secretary of State Clinton worked closely with PM Cameron and international attendees to forge a consensus in support of regional efforts to advance stability and governance in that war-torn country and terrorist safe-haven.

Confronting Emerging Transnational Threats:   In addition to combating terrorism, the U.S. and U.K. are deepening cooperation against transnational organized crime, a significant and growing threat to our national and international security.  Last July, the U.S. and U.K. coordinated the simultaneous release of their respective strategies on transnational organized crime, focusing on  targeting major transnational criminal networks, combating the increase in kidnapping for ransom, and severing the linkages between crime and terrorism.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 14, 2012

Joint Fact Sheet: Peace Corps and VSO Partnership on Volunteerism to Promote Global Development

“And I want to particularly say this to young people of every faith, in every country – you, more than anyone, have the ability to reimagine the world, to remake this world.”
-- President Barack Obama, June 4, 2009

“I want young people from this country to have the chance to really understand the challenges faced by people in very poor countries, by living and working alongside them to improve their lives.”
-- Prime Minister David Cameron, March 9, 2011

Expanding collaboration based on the partnership that President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron announced in May 2011, Peace Corps and VSO are leveraging the resources of both organizations to improve the lives of poor and marginalized people, and to promote the value of volunteering in global development.  Peace Corps and VSO are exchanging knowledge and collaborating on key development interests, building on our nations’ shared history of volunteerism.

Leaders in International Volunteerism for more than 50 Years - Peace Corps and VSO are leading global organizations that fight poverty by using the power of people and volunteers to bring about lasting change.  Both organizations are founded on an approach that puts people first, and fosters capacity building and knowledge exchange in a way that transforms poor and marginalized communities worldwide.  Peace Corps and VSO’s joint network of more than 10,000 currently serving volunteers in nearly 95 countries, combined with an alumni base of more than 250,000 former volunteers, will enhance global volunteerism efforts and create lasting change.

Complementing One Another, Building on Strengths - Peace Corps and VSO have collaborated for more than a decade.  This initiative formalizes the partnership and will increase the global impact of the efforts of both organizations.  Volunteers will work alongside local communities and partner organizations on development priorities, and help them build a lasting legacy of local volunteerism, creating a real and sustainable difference in people’s lives.

Increased Impact through Partnership

  • Peace Corps and VSO Sign Memorandum of Understanding on Volunteerism to Promote Global Development:  Peace Corps and VSO celebrated 2011 International Volunteer Day and the Tenth Anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers (IYV+10) by signing a partnership agreement on December 5, 2011 at the United Nations in New York, highlighting the important role that partnerships play to share best practices and maximize development impact.
  • Organizational level collaboration:  Peace Corps and VSO staff are increasing collaboration at the organizational level in key strategic areas of recruitment, monitoring and evaluation, programming and training.  By sharing best practice in training, systems and innovation, the partnership is enhancing the effectiveness of both organizations.
  • Country level collaboration:  Peace Corps and VSO are expanding collaboration in many of the more than 25 countries where both organizations work.  Peace Corps and VSO are addressing urgent development challenges in areas such as education, health, HIV/AIDS, youth development, gender, climate change and citizen participation by sharing knowledge, resources, and training capabilities to further enhance each organization’s current programming and training.  For example:
    • In Tanzania, Peace Corps and VSO collaborate closely to improve the English capacity of Tanzanian teachers, and share materials and resources to improve in-country training for volunteers. 
    • In the Philippines, Peace Corps and VSO support national level Philippines-led volunteering efforts, especially among young people. Both organizations coordinate with the National Youth Commission, the Philippines National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency, the Department of Social Welfare Development, and other international partners such as United Nations Volunteers (UNV).
    • In Nepal, VSO staff are providing guidance and support to recently arrived Peace Corps staff as Peace Corps re-opens a program in Nepal after a seven year absence. 
    • In Vanuatu, Peace Corps and VSO volunteers are working together on health sector projects including on a PEPFAR-funded project that facilitates HIV/AIDS trainings for village health workers. 

About the Peace Corps
Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps by executive order on March 1, 1961, more than 200,000 Americans have served in 139 host countries. Today, 9,095 volunteers are working with local communities in 75 host countries. Peace Corps volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a 27-month commitment and the agency’s mission is to promote world peace and friendship and a better understanding between Americans and people of other countries. Visit www.peacecorps.gov for more information.

About VSO
VSO is a development organisation that fights poverty through volunteers.  VSO is different from most organisations that fight poverty. Instead of sending money or food, we bring people together to share skills and knowledge. In doing so, we create lasting change.  Our volunteers work in whatever fields are necessary to fight the forces that keep people in poverty – from education and health through to helping people learn the skills to make a living. In doing so, they invest in local people, so the impact they make endures long after their placement ends. We’re also focused on gender equality and, increasingly, climate change. And we help poor people to get their messages heard, gathering public support and advising influential decision‐makers.  Today VSO recruits volunteers from 10 countries to work on programmes in 37 countries. 

VSO has submitted a position paper to member state delegations on today’s United Nations General Assembly Resolution on the Tenth Anniversary of International Year of the Volunteer and this is available at today's signing event.  You can find out more about VSO at www.vsointernational.org .

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 14, 2012

Joint Fact Sheet: U.S.-UK Progress Towards a Freer and More Secure Cyberspace

Today, President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron reaffirmed the vital partnership between our two nations on cybersecurity.  Recognizing there are few areas where partnership across borders is more urgent or necessary, the President and Prime Minister noted with satisfaction the deep level of cooperation that exists between the United States and the United Kingdom in ensuring networked technologies continue to empower our societies and economies, and those around the globe.

At the same time we remain focused on the threats to a global cyberspace and to the rights of its users.  As a handful of governments use cyberspace to oppress their citizens and prevent access to legitimate political speech, we will continue to cast light on these activities.  We condemn in the strongest terms Syria and Iran’s unilateral actions to deprive citizens of their rights to freely seek and impart information on-line, and reaffirm our commitment to safeguarding the free flow of information and the exercise of these fundamental freedoms, wherever they are threatened.

President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron further agreed that protecting our economies must also begin in the example we set at home.  Economies built to last must encourage innovation; strengthen the security and reliability of the global internet; and fully leverage the expertise of the private sector, civil society, and academia in making sound Internet and technology policy.

We have made significant progress in advancing this vision:

  1. We affirm that the digital world cannot be a lawless frontier, and commend states that are increasingly recognizing their role in promoting a just and peaceful order.  We support the growing consensus around international norms of behavior in a networked world, and the contribution the United Kingdom’s November London Conference on Cyberspace played in this regard.  It was the start of a focused and inclusive dialogue between all those with a stake in the Internet, and where most states present agreed that efforts to improve cybersecurity must not come at the expense of human rights like freedom of expression and association, which apply with equal force online as well as off.  The President and the Prime Minister look forward to further progress being made at the Conference on Cyberspace in Budapest later this year, and in Seoul in 2013.
  2. We share an abiding commitment to keeping cyber-criminals from victimizing our citizens and weakening our trust in networked technology.  Owing in part to our close partnership, it is harder than ever before for criminals to operate in cyberspace with impunity.  To further strengthen the rule of law in cyberspace, both nations are now party to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, and will work actively with other nations as they undertake the accession process.  The United States and United Kingdom enjoy a model international partnership, as authorities including the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and the UK Serious Organised Crime Agency work together to detect and prevent fraud, exploitation, and other types of on-line crime.
  3. We recognize that today, our economic security and network security are inextricable; therefore, we must do a better job of sharing cybersecurity information between industry and our two governments, while continuing to safeguard the privacy and civil liberties of citizens that are the hallmarks of open and democratic societies.  In the UK a new project is underway that enables companies in key sectors of the economy to exchange and act on cyber threat information, and to work with each other and government to develop long term cybersecurity solutions.  In the U.S., Federal agencies are building trusted relationships with critical sectors for sharing cyber threat information founded upon sound information handling policies and oversight. In addition, the Obama Administration has proposed a new statutory framework to further facilitate the exchange of cyber threat information between the public and private sectors, with strong protections for privacy and civil liberties. The Administration is committed to working with Congress to see such legislation enacted.
  4. As two of the world’s most networked nations, we cannot lose sight of our obligation to carry the benefits of this technology to individuals the world over, especially its poorest, as a commitment to their future.  The United States and United Kingdom are committed to enhancing connectivity and building capacity through our diplomacy, international aid, and other projects abroad.  Just a few examples include the U.S.-hosted 2011 East African Community cybersecurity workshop in Nairobi, an international conference Department for International Development (DfID) will host later this year on the use of new technologies and social media to promote greater transparency and accountability between governments and citizens, and our active promotion of the Open Government Partnership.
  5. We cannot be secure in cyberspace without sharing with one another the knowledge of the threats we face, and our policies for confronting them.  As the United States and the United Kingdom continue developing joint capabilities that support our national security interests in cyberspace, we are sharing more and more incident data to help us and our allies counter advanced persistent threats.  We are also actively testing our National Cyber Incident Response plans through joint exercises; and this year we will step up our joint planning across government in order to anticipate and prepare for future challenges in cyberspace.
  6. Finally, we recognize that we must stay one step ahead of cybersecurity threats by investing in cutting-edge research, and pooling our resources across borders.  To help ensure our nations remain at the forefront of the information economy, the United States and the United Kingdom have launched a trilateral initiative with Australia to fund new research and development for improved cybersecurity.  The international partners will jointly request research proposals, conduct joint reviews, and provide coordinated funding and support to pull-through of the resultant technologies.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 14, 2012

Joint Fact Sheet: U.S. and UK Defense Cooperation

Today President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron reaffirmed their commitment to continue close cooperation on defense as the United States and United Kingdom build their Armed Forces for the future. The U.S. and UK share an unprecedented defense relationship that has helped secure our shared interests and values since the World Wars of the last century.  We have developed unparalleled military interoperability and interconnectedness, working together to meet the challenges of the Cold War, leading in NATO, and fighting side-by-side in defense of global interests. At every level of our defense establishments British and American service men and women train together, learn together, develop capability together and, when called upon, fight together. 

Standing Together: British and American forces routinely operate side-by-side across a wide range of operations. A century of shared battlefield experience has led to a level of interoperability and familiarity that is unique in its breadth.  This is exemplified in Afghanistan today where the U.S. and UK are the two largest contributors to ISAF, and our Armed Forces are working together to degrade the insurgency and to train and mentor the Afghan Forces to provide security in Afghanistan.  For example, in Helmand province the U.S. Marines’ Task Force Leatherneck and the UK-led Task Force Helmand are working together to deliver stability.   

British and American exchange personnel routinely deploy on operations with their host units.  For example, British air transport pilots flew with the U.S Air Force in Haiti earthquake relief operations, and British F-18 pilots are currently flying operational missions from the USS Stennis. U.S. Marine Corp exchange officers have deployed on operational tours to Afghanistan with their host British units, in some cases in a command position, and the U.S. Air Force has a long tradition of exchanging pilots on transport, aerial refueling, and combat aircraft with Royal Air Force units.  

Training, Learning, and Developing Together:  The ability of American and British forces to operate on the battlefield effectively is due in large part to the close-knit and constant training and exchange opportunities undertaken together.  As close Allies, the U.S. and UK host each other's forces in order to conduct training, be prepared to forward-deploy when necessary, and in many cases conduct current operations.  The U.S. currently has over 9,000 personnel permanently stationed in the UK, primarily on shared Royal Air Force (RAF) bases such as RAF Lakenheath and Mildenhall, where U.S. units conduct fighter, transport, and aerial refueling operations.  The Joint Analysis Center (JAC) at RAF Molesworth is a prime example of cooperation, where U.S. and British analysts monitor the world’s trouble spots together.  All four U.S. services send exchange officers to work with the British services, and exchange both junior and senior military officers with British defense schools. 

The UK currently stations over 800 British personnel in the U.S., conducting a wide variety of activities from conducting RPAS (Remotely Pilot Air Systems) operations in Afghanistan from Creech AFB, Nevada, to working side by side with American colleagues on major acquisition projects such as the Joint Strike Fighter and C-17 projects, to working with U.S. counterparts on cyber and space cooperation.  Approximately 200 British officers are on exchange with the American services to develop joint approaches to develop capability and increase interoperability.

During the month of March, 2012, alone, 1,100 UK military personnel will take part in 10 training exercises with U.S. forces across the country, to include a detachment from the Royal Regiment of Artillery participating in an adventure training expedition near the Grand Canyon, a squadron of Royal Air Force (RAF) GR4 Tornadoes conducting live-fire heavy weapons training in Arizona, and an RAF squadron participating in a Red Flag exercise at Nellis AFB, Nevada. 
           
The U.S. and UK routinely entrust their best and brightest NCO's and officers to each other's academies, military schools, and units to gain experience and insight into the other partner's way of doing business.  Exchanging military personnel ensures a cadre of individuals in each military that understands their counterparts and cross-fertilizes the best each nation has to offer in ideas and doctrine.  Also during March a senior British officer, Gen Richard Shirreff, will conduct a speaking tour at West Point, Ft. Leavenworth, and the Pentagon as part of the yearly Kermit Roosevelt Speaking seminar, a tradition between the British and American Armies that dates back to 1948.  U.S. General Robert Cone is reciprocating later in the year at the British Ministry of Defence, the Land Forces headquarters, and the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst.

Today the UK also has a wide range of senior personnel serving in advisory or command positions in U.S. Headquarters, including the Deputy Commander of the 1st Infantry Division, senior planning staff at CENTCOM, and senior liaison positions in NORTHCOM, CENTCOM, CYBERCOM, PACOM and STRATCOM.  British officers also serve as faculty at West Point and the Naval War College.  Similarly, U.S. officers serve with the British military in multiple advisory levels, attend British defense schools, and are integrated into British combat units, sometimes in command positions.  

Collaborating for the Future: The President and the Prime Minister agreed that both defense departments will continue to push for increased interoperability across the spectrum of military operations after today’s operations come to an end.  The U.S. Defense Strategic Guidance and UK Strategic Defence and Security Review reached many common conclusions, including the need for increased cooperation in dealing with the threats we face. We are committed to working together, and with other close allies, wherever possible. 

• Navy - Secretary Panetta and Secretary Hammond recently signed a Statement of Intent directing the U.S. and Royal Navies to seek ways to better develop aircraft carrier doctrine and maritime power projection capabilities. 

• Land - We will also seek to develop similar initiatives to enhance the already close ground force relationship though increased training opportunities in Europe and unit exchanges in the U.S.

• Air - The UK is a tier-one partner in the development of the Joint Strike Fighter - a unique program in which each country’s defense industries are sharing in the development of a common platform that will ensure the U.S., UK, and other partners own the cutting edge in air superiority for the next generation.

• Cyber - The U.S. and UK, along with other capable nations, are working together to protect vital information infrastructure from cyber attack. We are committed to building our interoperability in this vital new space, building on a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2011.  

• Space – The UK and U.S. will work with other partner nations to explore the potential for collaboration and information sharing in this expanding realm of activity.

• Management of defense – Both countries are committed to ensuring that our Armed Forces have what they need for the future, are given the support they and their families deserve, while maximizing the value of the resources spent on defense. There are many areas where we can work together to make this happen, ranging from our Service Personnel Task Force, to work on future energy requirements, science and technology, to nuclear sharing.

Leading Together: The United Kingdom and United States stand shoulder to shoulder with each other to deter and, if required, defeat threats to our common way of life.

The President and Prime Minister agree that there are new opportunities to strengthen this relationship further.  With new strategic circumstances come new reasons to cooperate.  We cannot afford to miss these opportunities.  Both countries recognize that many of the problems that we both face cannot be solved alone.

By working together more closely, we set an example to others and provide a basis for further collaboration with our Allies and partners, including through NATO, in the years to come. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 14, 2012

Joint Fact Sheet: U.S.-UK Task Force to Support Our Armed Forces Personnel, Veterans and Their Families

Today, President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron reaffirmed their commitment to deliver the best possible support for the men and women of our Armed Forces, our veterans and their families through the U.S.-UK Task Force, which was established during the President’s visit to London last May.

British and American Service personnel have operated side-by-side in conflicts around the world since World War II.  British personnel serve in U.S. units, and American Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Air Force personnel operate in British units. In Afghanistan, where we and our NATO allies and partners are working side-by-side in support of the Afghan Government, our alliance is stronger than ever.

The goal of the Task Force is to build on existing cooperation and share best practice in the support of Service personnel, their families and veterans. To accomplish this goal, the Task Force has established working groups to look at four areas:

• Wounded Warrior Rehabilitation
• Supporting Service leavers transitioning to civilian life
• Mental Health
• Military Family Support

The working groups, jointly led by U.S. and UK Co-Chairs, are turning the Task Force’s strategic goals into specific outcomes and achievements. Progress so far has included:

Wounded Warrior Rehabilitation
In May, for the first time ever, a team from the UK will participate in the annual U.S. Wounded Warrior Games, to be held in Colorado Springs, Colorado. They will join over 200 U.S. Wounded Warriors at the Games, which offer an excellent opportunity to maximize the beneficial effects of adaptive sports in rehabilitation.  The Games are a significant competitive springboard with competing U.S. athletes attempting to qualify for the Paralympics in London later this year.

UK experts will also attend, for the first time, the U.S. Army Triad of Care Training Conference taking place in August 2012, in Oklahoma. This conference brings together primary care managers, nurse case managers, physical and occupational therapists, social workers, and transition coordinators to share and promote best practice in caring for and rehabilitating Wounded Warriors.  The U.S. will in return attend the UK Ministry of Defense’s Welfare Conference in September 2012 in London to learn about innovative practices and collaboration between State and charitable providers of support in the field of Wounded Warrior rehabilitation in the UK.

The UK and U.S. will also continue work to develop joint medical research protocols drawing on the experiences of U.S. and UK institutions, including, in the UK, the National Institute for Health Research and the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre and, in the U.S., the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the US Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine.

Transition to civilian life
President Obama has directed that the U.S. should deliver the best possible transition process for personnel returning to civilian life. The work of the Task Force has identified areas where the UK leads in best practice in this field. Using the UK’s idea of a “Personal Resettlement Plan” for each member leaving service, which includes personal training objectives, the U.S. has now developed a similar “Individual Transition Plan” to help Service personnel establish transition goals and the path to those goals.

The U.S. has also borrowed from the UK’s focus on career preparation throughout a Service career, to help move the U.S. transition system towards a military lifecycle approach rather than an end-of-career event.   Best practice being transferred from the UK includes assisting Service personnel in pursuing technical training opportunities and, during transition, developing the skills for small business ownership, as well as understanding different approaches to assessing and delivering an individual’s wider transition needs.

The Task Force has also established a partnership between the Department of Defense and the UK’s Department for Education which is allowing the UK to draw more fully on the lessons of the U.S.’s Troops to Teachers scheme in the establishment of the UK’s Troops to Teachers programme, which aims to encourage Service leavers to become teachers.

Mental Health
This critical area remains a challenging one for both nations. It is also a promising area for potential development, research and joint progress. In June 2012, speakers from the UK Ministry of Defence and the National Health Service will present their findings and experiences in the area of suicide prevention within military communities at the U.S.’s Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs suicide prevention conference in Washington, D.C.

In addition, the UK is planning to deploy a military mental health professional to Afghanistan this year with a U.S. Joint Mental Health Assessment Team.  They will participate in the team’s work to investigate causes of relevant mental health issues, such as post traumatic stress disorder, impact of tour lengths and suicide and propose pre-emptive measures to be used by policy makers and tactical Commanders to help prevent suicide amongst Service personnel returning from Afghanistan.

Military Family Support
The UK has briefed U.S. colleagues on the Ministry of Defense’s Strategic Children’s Plan, a process which is forming the basis of the U.S.’s five-year strategy for children and youth. Both sides will continue to cooperate in the development of children’s strategies.

The sharing of programmes and experiences between the UK and U.S. is proving beneficial and is helping to influence the development of UK strategy and plans. The UK is developing a personal finance awareness program for the Armed Forces community in close conjunction with the Royal British Legion and the links established with a similar U.S. program are allowing the UK development team to benefit from the U.S. experience.

The Task Force has also formed a close partnership with the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry.  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, invited by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, attended the Los Angeles “Hiring Our Heroes” hiring fair on July 10, 2011, which was attended by more than 1,000 Veterans and more than 500 military spouses.  The Task Force looks forward to working with the Foundation on further initiatives on both sides of the Atlantic.

In a separate venture, under the auspices of First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden's "Joining Forces" initiative, which supports the military, their families and veterans in the U.S., universities in the United States and the United Kingdom are increasing and deepening their research partnerships to improve  and inform the care of our military communities. 

The University of Southern California, a leading innovator in veteran and military family care and research and King's College London’s King’s Centre for Military Health Research have committed to expand their existing relationship in this area.  They are focusing on a five-year plan for collaborative military research and related initiatives. This plan aims to improve the quality of research, interventions, and workforce development related to veterans and their families, with an emphasis on problems in the transition to civilian life and combat-related stress.  The Task Force welcomes this step and any opportunities it presents for further collaboration.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 14, 2012

Joint Fact Sheet: U.S. - UK Higher Education, Science, and Innovation Collaboration

The U.S. and UK have a long history of collaboration in science and technology, reflecting the two nations’ mutual recognition that research and development—along with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education—are essential elements of economic prosperity, enhanced health, environmental sustainability, and national security.  Today President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron reaffirmed their shared commitment to strong collaboration in science, innovation, and higher education, highlighting recent joint efforts.

Science
Predicting and Protecting Against Space Weather Events: The U.S. and UK continue to build a close partnership to understand atmospheric dynamics and monitor and model space-weather events. Following last year’s commitment to collaborate in this domain, the two countries held one workshop in 2011 and another is planned for 2012 to further integrate U.S. and UK expertise and develop relevant policies. The U.S. will continue to work with the UK in the development of a real-time UK operational space-weather service. These joint actions will lead to improved forecasting capabilities to mitigate damage to our electric power infrastructure and disruptions to GPS-enabled capabilities.

Bolstering Global Food Security: The U.S. National Science Foundation and the UK’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council will collaborate on a nitrogen-fixation Ideas Lab.  Research on nitrogen fixation and utilization in plants and microbes could lead to reductions in fertilizer run-off, a reduced agricultural carbon footprint, more nutritious food, and improved food supplies.

Health
Measuring Subjective Wellbeing: The U.S. National Institute on Aging and the UK Economic and Social Research Council are jointly funding a National Research Council panel on metrics relating to the experience of wellbeing. The panel met in November 2011 and will meet in the U.S. and UK in 2012.

Promoting Better Access to Data in Health and Life Sciences:  The U.S. and UK will launch two meetings in 2012 to bring together policy makers, entrepreneurs, clinicians, and life scientists to build global momentum for more effective application of open data principles to health data to improve clinical care and speed creation of intelligent health systems that empower patients and providers.

Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases
Understanding new and emerging diseases: In September 2011, more than $5.5M in joint U.S.-UK funding for research was announced to control the transmission of diseases in humans, animals and the environment.  Initial projects will investigate: factors affecting the transmission of bacterial diseases in Tanzania; a viral disease in Colobus monkeys that may help explain the genesis of the AIDS epidemic; and host-specific viral mechanisms of infectiousness.

Education
Engaging in a Higher Education Policy Dialogue:  Members of this bilateral Dialogue met in the UK in October, with both nations working to establish a framework to provide more mobility and opportunity to U.S. and UK students, researchers, and faculty.

Defense
Better Informing Our Troops: Since 2006, an International Technology Alliance of industrial and academic organizations from the U.S. and UK, led by U.S. Army Research Laboratory and UK Defense Science and Technology Laboratory, have been jointly conducting collaborative research to enhance information-sharing and distributed, secure, and flexible decision-making to improve networked coalition operations. These technologies will be demonstrated during a joint U.S.-UK field trial in the UK in March 2012.

Better Protecting Our Troops: Building on 25 years of shared studies on armor technology, the U.S. and UK are developing a research program on the physics of novel armor materials with the objective of lighter and stronger protection systems for use on multiple warfighter platforms.

Applying Naval Research in Support of Technology Advances: The U.S. Office of Naval Research Global, which has had a London office since 1946, awarded 22 research grants in the UK for $3.2M in FY 2011, continuing a history of bilateral collaboration in basic research areas, including graphene and other advanced materials with potential applications in defense and other sectors; design of highly efficient third-generation solar cells; and use of data from bistatic radar trials to develop models that improve detection of small maritime targets.

Designing the Aircraft of Tomorrow: The U.S. and UK are collaborating on the development of advanced engine technologies for the Joint Strike Fighter and for future military aircraft. The co-developed technologies include lighter-weight materials and advanced engineering to provide lighter, safer, more powerful and repairable jet engines for military and civilian aircraft applications.

Reducing Reliance on Fossil Fuels:  The USAF and RAF have developed a cooperative relationship to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and minimize aircraft engine emissions. The Air Forces are focusing on analysis and testing of alternative fuels and other ways of reducing the cost of energy in theatre.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
March 14, 2012

Vice President Biden to Deliver Commencement Addresses at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and High Schools in Virginia and Florida

WASHINGTON, DC – Vice President Biden will deliver three commencement addresses this spring at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on May 26, Cypress Bay High School in Weston, Florida on June 4, and Tallwood High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia on June 14. More details regarding these events will be released as they become available.