The departments f. Y. 2021 budget request. Know, i was in afghanistan on saturday with president ghani and nato stoltenburg where we announced a joint declaration on ringing peace to afghanistan which reaffirms United Statess partnership with the government of afghanistan. This was an important first step toward a political solution to end the war in afghanistan. Afghan terated to our partners, this is a conditionsbased agreement. Conditionsbased agreement. Were watching the talibans actions closely to assess whether they are upholding their commitments. I also had the opportunity to address our troops and coalition orces while i was in kabul and speak with m. S. O. , v. S. O. Groups while back to the United States. Must not foregoat this forget this agreement was part sacrifices ourus service men and women have made over the past 18plus years. Work, ntinue to do great supporting Afghan Security forces and taking terrorists ffer the battlefield whenever they emerge. My message to the coalition was to stay vigilant because we difficult a long and mission ahead of us. Before i close, id also like to provide a brief update on what doing to address the coronavirus. For the past six weeks, weve had a daily working group at the general officer level, including the joint staff, the services, the combat and o. S. D. S as a result, we issued a variety f memorandums and directives advising the force on how to deal with coronavirus. At the end of last week, did i a dive with civilian and military leadership, including secretaries, vice ensure all nders to troops can deal with all scenarios. Commanders of individually affected geographic commands all the authority they need and will provide specific guidance to their troops as the evolve. N continues to meanwhile, north comm remains all lobal integrator for the leader in all entities. Protect our forces and families. Our mission uard capabilities. And support the agency whole of government approach. Must ensure our people are safe and able to continue their very important mission. Over to ill turn it chairman millie. Chairman millie thanks, secretary. Good morning to everyone. First, i want to say as a veteran of multiple tours in commander offormer i. G. C. , i fully support the agreement that we signed over the weekend. I speak for those of us in uniform. Political settlement is the only responsible way to and he war in afghanistan this was an important step. This agreement would not have the possible without thousands of soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines that have served 18 sacrificed over the last years. We owe an extraordinary debt of gratitude to americas sons and the ultimate made sacrifice and their families who have given their all to this nation. Is not only includes the military but also the dedicated men and women of the the department and intelligence community. As well as our allies and partners from over 40 nations. Agreement, as the secretary said, is conditionsbased, and best the war is to end now. Protect u. S. National security in this is foremost agreement, and it provides the best hope for a peaceful future afghanistan. E of id also like to highlight the potential impact of coronavirus what the secretary just said. On our military force and on our operations and preparations. The department of defense, under the secretarys direction, has plans to respond to Infectious Disease outbreaks and were executing those plans at and operating locations around the world in rder to, one, protect the soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and their families, to ustain our ability to detend the United States defend the United States. And execute the strategy. Nd support the whole of government response to the outbreak. Were communicating regularly commanders rational to assess how the virus can impact our exercises around the readiness, clude our including those of our allies and partners as well. Remains Armed Forces Ready to defend the homeland and rovide support to our interagency allies who are helping us and with that ill your questions. Reporter hi. Mr. Secretary, theres already some violence violent attacks, particularly on the food. Is there now an opening to onduct any violence for the next, you know, several days until whatever agreement is reached . To conduct able attacks now against afghan or u. S. . General, can you just address on . U. S. Efforts from now will the continue to assess c. T. , particularly against other groups . This idea of now new attacks against potentially forces restrict the u. S. Bility to train with the afghans . Secretary esper ill take the first question. Our expectation is a reduced level of violence would occur it would decrease over time as we move forward. Things happen, first of all, we have to verify action an attack happened. E have to figure out atrish bugs. Attributei tifshgs on. Evaluate each day and im confident on general milleys apabilities on the ground and give us feedback with regard to the implementation of the base agreement. Milley two things. Litic its not a money group. I know the attack youre talking about. Got some initial reports on it. Know exactly who did that yet. Thats first point. Caution i would everybody to think that theres going to be an absolute violence in afghanistan. That is probably not going to happen. Tos probably not going to go zero. This is a significant step forward, this agreement, and lead to g to interafghan dialogue and leads to a peace agreement. To go to ts going zero immediately, that probably case. Going to be the so on the c. T. Piece. Stay ited states will committed to secure our National Security interests and thats commitment of thissed administration and previous administration. Well maintain whatever capability is necessary to the United States against terrorists. Secretary esper i spoke to this in kabul on saturday. We still are going to conduct Counterterrorism Operations isis, k, our groups out there. Us on r can you update either of you on the drawdown of u. S. Troops in afghanistan . When will it begin and can you a timeline of the three to five months, is that correct . Lso, the president said over the weekend hell be meeting with the taliban soon. Do you have any details about to happen . Going can you be present . I have no sper details. The state department will be working on that with regard to second question, courtney. We reduced to 8,600 within 135 if i recall correctly. That drawdown would begin in the first 10 days. Ut my instructions to the commander was, lets get moving. And show our full faith effort to do that. As you know, i said on many occasions im comfortable we can all the missions we can conduct at 8,600. Eporter it has begun the drawdown . Secretary esper the general had pace. To begin at his certainly within 10 days. The requirement said the agreement says within 10 days it begin. Eneral mille reporter can you talk about the specific impact of coronavirus on Ongoing Military Operations . And also, what youre doing here to prevent d states he spread of the virus among troops . Eneral milley yeah, david, thanks. Overseas, we have a variety of exercises, operations ongoing. Ight now the overall broad impact to the uniformed u. S. Military is very, very minimal. Its not to say its zero but very, very minimal. Very few cases have been diagnosed, etc. Surprising because we have a very young demographic in the u. S. Military. Healthy demographic. Immunizations, so on and so forth, and we hope to keep it that way. We have, however, modified exercises on the korean peninsula. Ande was a c. P. X. Scheduled my counterpart in korea, the joint chiefs of staff, asked it be postponed. Well go ahead and do that. We will take a look at some exercises to see if can be modified or changed. Gold is ongoing. We have someone saying thats in. Ed right now we dont see a significant, negative impact on that. Here in the United States, we making all due preparations to protect our bases, camps, in support to act of health and human services. Eve got lots of capabilities, medic medical capabilities, housing, if required by the secretary of part. E well do our a lot r some countries, of countries are closing their borders. Is that having an impact on lines . General milley for us, no. Yet. N any significant way were able to, for example, in korea, the secretary directed ome additional medical personnel sent over there, additional equipment, masks, loves, gowns, those sorts of things. So were doing all that. N addition, our Research Labs, our military Research Labs are working feverishly around the try to come up with a vaccine. So well see how that develops months. Next couple theres a whole wide variety of things were doing and well assets ilable whatever and resources we have thats so. Ssary and directed to do reporter two questions. Could you shed any further light on what the conditions will be months withdrawal period . Preceding with that. If theres a delay to the start of the initial are ntoafghan talks that supposed to begin march 10 but it appears theres already a prisoner in er the withdrawal and what has been that. To visavis would the initial drawdown be paused if the talks dont begin march 10 . T thanks. Secretary esper again, well time. T one day at a we are in day two right now. Day two, hour 39. Our way through that. Our agreement was to enable to acilitate that exchange of persons between the taliban and the government of afghanistan. And over, said over its all conditionsbased. But we are going to show good faith and begin withdrawing our and we can stop that at any moment. We can pause it based on, again, circumstances. Reporter ok. What are the conditions for the period . S withdrawal secretary esper well, youd have to go back to the base agreement. Have access to that at this point. You can read what we committed the but then theres what taliban committed to do and there are some other things in there. Make sure t to do is those are what well do is go to 8600 and well stop and well the situation. Not just tactically on the ground. Also, are all the parties living obligations, their commitments, are they acting in good faith, showing good effort . Get too far to ahead at this point. Well go to that point and assess the situation with all players. Cular reporter general millie, i want to go back to coronavirus. A couple things you mentioned. Saying you off by were doing planning for all scenarios. Is it correct, be then, oure aligned with civilian several Health Authorities that would include a planning scenario for the military facing pandemic . Is that part of your planning scenario . That understand you military labs are also working on Vaccine Research . Of enlisted families, of course, dont have a lot of cash to stockpile supplies and all of that. Wondering if theres any thinking going on as this potentially goes on whether some assistance being thought about spouses may not be theyre ake leave if sick, their children still may childcare. To is there any thinking what might need to be ready to go to help enlisted families if they who dont earn as much have issues with this, could you start by telling one ofandemic is in fact your planning scenarios since ou said you were looking at everything . General millie the United Military looks at best case, worst case, middle things. Thing. Rt of pandemic is the worst case. That has not been declared by health organization. In terms of executing, no. Yes, we do all kinds of planning defense. Partment of we take inventory of all our we urces, storks, what have stocks, what we have to be done. Short answer, yes. With respect to the vaccine, in the military labs are fact working, you know, very consistently. Vaccine but hat different things. The military labs have capability to do that and with health and human services. Your last point, barbara, taking soldiers and families. Its one of the Top Priorities of secretary as defense. Its one of the Top Priorities of us in uniform. Its one of our solemn responsibilities to take care of and oldiers and families well provide whatever assistance is needed including off, if they are working with civilian employers, to if ude supplemental help they lack supplies in the home. If they get infected and have to two, threehat. Say, es, well work with our families and troops. Reporter how many u. S. Tested tested for covid19 . Laboratories . Are they working in conjunction with private industry as well . Own hey working on their and hoping for the best . Secretary esper on the testing get back to you. Were testing in korea, for example, given the numbers there. Labs, fort to dietrich helped provide given their expertise and capabilities. Followup. Quick exercises. Been cobra gold is going on. Is there special training from stations . Precautions . Cial esper this is unique to every location. We sent out, as i said, directives, the commanders have information they need. Make relying on them to good judgments. We will continue to deal with those. Another meeting at the end of this week with all the Service Secretaries and combat commanders. General millie access to bases such as restricted northern italy and south korea, example. Secondly is travel restrictions. The soldiers on these bases or airmen on these bases are being their ted in terms of travel inside the a. O. R. , inside the community. Command, ucomm and indopacomm. The last piece is with respect protective gear and test kits being distributed. That forward going to the peninsula of korea. Reporter secretary esper, what do if turkey invokes article 5 in syria . Millie, were russian warplanes part of the secretary esper turkey is in combat operations over there and well take it one step at a time. Conversation with secretary general stoltenberg. One step at a time so were prepared for what may happen. Millie we dont have clear unambiguous intelligence flying what as plane. Point one. Point two, i called my russiaparts in turkey in deescalation as quick as possible. To rter did they close it greece what are you calling on turkey to do . Millie with respect to whom . Reporter with regards to the and the th syria people, 900,000 who want to ross into safety, do you think they should open their border to that . Do you think they should close pushing der and stop immigrants secretary esper my conversation with the defense was to share week with him our support for turkey and member and to point out the simple fact that ussians arent always good partners. And so and so that was the conversation with them. They need to do with regard to their borders. E. U. And theirhe neighbor countries and they have to work their way through that with them. Question. One more secretary esper the united increase looking to humanitarian aid for the persons in syria thats one thing i had a conversation with secretary of that. About eporter [inaudible] secretary esper no. Reporter also on coronavirus, there may be a cluster it seems the pacific northwest. Joint bases at, say, louis mccord, are you doing additional precautions there to maybe test to see if theres any exposure there . Likedly, for base supplies he economy sears commisaries, what are you doing to make sure those remained stocked . Esper we are relying on local commanders because each with regard to the impact on the community, their resources, their stocks, all that. To do is repared resource them as need be so we put out the call. Need . Uthorities do you what resources . How can i surge the whether parts of. Or other the medical community is to provide the commanders the in order to doed those three things. Number one, protect the Service Members and their families. Two, ensure our mission is safeguard, that we can conduct our missions. The r three, support interagency with the whole of government approach. At ral millie Commander Joint base louis mccord, they hut down some large widely attended gatherings. People that you get large numbers of people colocated. They havent t, had outbreaks. We are going to leave the last couple of minutes of this to fulfill our 40year commitment to live coverage of the u. S. House. Watch this and any cspan Program Online at anytime at cspan. Org. Gavel in is about to with a prayer and pledge and general speeches. Legislative work starts at 5 00 measures dealing with Financial Services on the calendar. Any requested votes after 6 30. Thspker o mp t th wilffered by aplainy ls pray. Rculodhe unie, anoay. Ksorin u ow t membef th u ow each rsonally one otheyoth asrin opo, as the16th coress of ited sta lo, he the to know you. Allo them to come to owu arey