WEBVTT

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(helicopter blades spinning)

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- [Jessica] The Secretary of the Army,

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the Honorable Eric Fanning, visited the US Army Central

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Area of Operations on September 19th.

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Fanning toured Army facilities at Camp Buehring

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and Camp Arifjan to enhance his understanding

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of Army operations.

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- My job is essentially to produce the Army

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so that we meet the requirements

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that the Combatant Commanders set around the world

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for current operations and for contingency operations.

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So that's what most of my time is spent doing,

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is trying to figure out what kind of force we need

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for today, and what kind of force we need for tomorrow.

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I'm learning all these things that a lot of people

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don't know about the Army, and in fact,

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maybe the Army doesn't even celebrate about itself enough.

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- [Jessica] The Secretary of the Army observed

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training sites and equipment.

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He also hosted a town hall at Camp Arifjan

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where he invited soldiers to express

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their comments and concerns.

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Secretary of the Army Fanning said talking with troops

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was the high point of his tour.

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- [Eric] The highlight is any time I get to interact

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directly with troops.

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No Powerpoints, no conference rooms, no windowless offices.

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I want to be out in the field seeing soldiers

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do what they do where they do it.

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I am having a great time getting out of Washington DC,

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getting to see soldiers.

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Not here to get back to the Pentagon at all,

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and look forward to coming back as soon as I can.

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- [Jessica] From Camp Arifjan, Kuwait,

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I'm Army Sergeant Jessica Forester.