Editor's Note: It was a particularly significant week in news from the Defense Department, with the announcement of the nomination of Leon Panetta to replace Defense Secretary Robert Gates, of Army Gen. David Petraeus to head the CIA and of Marine Corps Lt. Gen. John Allen to command Afghanistan operations.
Meanwhile, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, cited the National Guard's role in connecting the armed forces to civilians in a speech highlighting personnel issues.
The National Guard and other Reserve components are great avenues for connections, he said. These service members are in every part of the country and can explain the military to the greater population. Mullen said the military needs to use this avenue to better communicate with America.
Mullen also said the Defense Department must help solve the federal debt crisis.
Also this week, Army Gen. William "Kip" Ward – U.S. Africa Command's first commander and a consistent supporter of the National Guard's State Partnership Program – retired, and Saturday was the 36th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, which shaped many of today's military leaders, including Mullen and Petraeus.
A round-up of Defense Department news this week …