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Panetta Announces New Medal, Reflects on Tenure

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta announces the creation of a new medal during a Pentagon press briefing, Feb. 13, 2013.

DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta shared his perspective on his time in office during a Pentagon news conference, Feb. 13, 2013. Panetta also provided updates on budget and defense issues and announced the creation of a new medal to recognize service members who directly affect combat operations - even if they are not on the same continent as the action.

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Army General Martin E. Dempsey Becomes 18th. Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

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Feb. 13, 2013

Panetta Offers Campaign Context for Troop Drawdown

The president’s announcement that 34,000 U.S. troops will come out of Afghanistan in the next 12 months 'puts us firmly on a path, I believe, to fulfill our mission in Afghanistan,' Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told reporters in what he called his last Pentagon news conference.Story

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Featured Photos

  • Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta sits down for his last press briefing before the end of his tenure as the 23rd secretary at the Pentagon, Feb. 13, 2013. During the briefing, Panetta offered a reflective and candid view of his time in the office. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett
  • Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta sits down for his last press briefing before the end of his tenure as the 23rd secretary at the Pentagon, Feb. 13, 2013. During the briefing, Panetta offered a reflective and candid view of his time in the office. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett
  • President Barack Obama delivers the State of the Union Address in Washington, D.C., Feb. 12, 2013.  Obama said the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan will be reduced by 34,000 over the coming year.  Screen shot White House video
  • Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter, left, testifies on the impact of sequestration before the House Armed Services Committee in Washington, D.C., Feb. 13, 2013. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, center, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno, right, also testified.  U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Teddy Wade
  • U.S. Army Lt. Col. Mark Martin, left, and Ray Sudweeks, right, U.S. State Department representative, pass out toys and school supplies to Afghan children during a visit in Farah province, Afghanistan, Feb. 9, 2013. Martin, a civil affairs officer, is assigned to Provincial Reconstruction Team Farah. 
 U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Josh Ives
  • U.S. Army Lt. Col. Mark Martin, left, unloads a box of school supplies during a visit to a local returnee and refugee village in Farah province, Afghanistan, Feb. 9, 2013. Martin, a civil affairs officer, is assigned to Provincial Reconstruction Team Farah. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Josh Ives
  • U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class James Doerner assumes a ready-to-fire position aboard a rigid-hull inflatable boat during a visit, board, search and seizure exercise in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility, Feb. 11, 2013.  U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Armando Gonzales
  • Paratroopers prepare to hook up an M119A2 105mm howitzer to a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during air assault training on Fort Bragg, N.C., Feb. 8, 2013. The paratroopers, artillerymen are assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division’s 3rd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod
  • U.S. Army First Lt. Kyle Ferrier clears debris from a road in Plymouth, Mass., Feb. 12, 2013. Soldiers have been working in Plymouth and Marshfield Mass., clearing roads after the winter storm dubbed "Nemo" Ferrier is a platoon leader assigned to D Company 1st Battalion 182nd Infantry Regiment, Massachusetts National Guard. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Steven C. Eaton

The Pentagon Channel

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