, Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James speaks to ASC 15-2 photoArticulating the U.S. Air Force’s role in a dynamic, quickly evolving global security environment, Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James addressed U.S. and international Fellows today at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies. Her audience included 114 participants in the month-long Advanced Security Cooperation course (ASC 15-2). James is the Department of Defense’s lead official for U.S. airpower, space operations and cybersecurity policy and capability.

, Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James speaks to ASC 15-2 photoDuring her roughly 20-minute speech, James emphasized the importance of international cooperation, noting her service’s crucial military-to-military ties with Asia-Pacific nations such as China and India. She cited, for example, U.S.-India ties that were central to the two nations’ humanitarian response following the devastating earthquake in Nepal and the evacuation of 450 civilians from Yemen. In the spirit of cooperation, she encouraged ASC Fellows to sustain the relationships they form during the course. “It’s very important to build a diverse network in thought and background,” she said, adding,”Remember, you will never be able to ‘surge’ in trust. Trust is something that you all are building during this period in the Asia-Pacific Center.”

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