Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh Holds Press BriefingContracts for Jan. 3, 2025On-Camera Press Briefing

DEPUTY PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY SABRINA SINGH: All right, hello. Good afternoon, Happy New Year, everyone. Nice to see everyone back. Just a few things at the top and then happy to jump in and take your questions. So first, let me acknowledge the horrific attacks that took place in New Orleans and Las Vegas earlier this week. On behalf of the department, we are thinking of the families of those who were killed, those who were injured and the people in New Orleans after the horrific attack there that occurred on New Year's Day.

Additionally, we're tracking the explosion of a cyber truck outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. Secretary Austin has been closely monitoring both situations and has actively engaged in providing updates to the president and homeland security leaders as needed. To date, no DOD support has been requested in response to either incident in either New Orleans or Las Vegas. On January 1st, the Louisiana National Guard was activated to provide support to the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. For additional information on this support, please reach out to the Louisiana National Guard, and we will continue to closely monitor these situations and stand ready to assist our interagency partners if needed.

Looking ahead, throughout the month of January, the Department will support our interagency partners for three high profile national special security events. 500 National Guardsmen will play a key role in supporting the counting and certification of electoral votes on January 6th.

The request for assistance, expected to be approved in the coming days, for the Presidential inauguration activities includes 7,800 National Guardsmen supporting security operations. It also includes some Title 10 forces coming through USNORTHCOM to provide supplemental support to our interagency partners as needed.

Additionally, the Joint Task Force National Capital Region will lead ceremonial honors for the state funeral of President Carter, ensuring a dignified tribute to the former president. For more information on each of these events, please contact the Department of Homeland Security or US Secret Service, which is the lead partner agency for each of these events.

And finally, on January 7th, Secretary Austin will travel to Ramstein, Germany for the 25th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group to reaffirm our enduring commitment to Ukraine. Together with defense ministers and military leaders from around the globe, Secretary Austin will focus on delivering practical and coordinated support that reinforces Ukraine's ability to defend itself today and deter aggression in the future. We'll have more details to share on the secretary's official engagements at Ramstein in the coming days. But with that, I'm happy to take your questions.

Q: Thanks, Sabrina. So, on the New Orleans attack, you said that DOD is not working with law enforcement agencies right now, but what about making Army veteran Jabbar's personnel records completely available? Any mental health records? Has there been any sort of indication that he was radicalized in any way during his military service?

MS. SINGH: So, that's something that the investigation is of course going to unearth. We're not the lead department for that. That would be the FBI. But of course, the FBI is going to, over the course of the investigation, comb through how this individual did become radicalized. In terms of his personnel information while he was serving in the Army and as a reservist, I'd refer you to the Army. I believe they did release some of his medical personal information. So, I don't have more than what they've already provided.

Q: Did release to the FBI or I mean how did they access those records?

MS. SINGH: So, Army CID is working with the FBI and local law enforcement for the Las Vegas event that occurred earlier this week assisting with the investigation. But again, we're not the lead. But of course, Army is going to be providing medical records, any other assistance that we can or that's requested? We're going to, of course, support the investigations that are happening either by the FBI when it comes to the New Orleans event or with the Las Vegas incident.

Q: Okay, two more on the Las Vegas incident. CNN is reporting that Matthew Livelsberger may have been diagnosed with depression and may have sought treatment. Has DOD started to look through his medical records for any sort of indication of maybe a problem that wasn't treated?

MS. SINGH: I can confirm that we have turned over the - we meaning the department has turned over all medical records to local law enforcement. At this time, I just don't have more details to share. That being said, since you referenced it, when it comes to our service members in active duty, there are a number of different ways to seek mental health and mental health treatment.

It can be through your chain of command, it can be through the chaplain on base, it can be through Military OneSource. And we encourage that - we encourage our service members, if you need help, if you feel that you need to seek any type of mental health treatment or just to talk to someone, to seek the services that are available either on base or online.

Q: And just one last one. Is the secretary planning to file an appeal for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's plea agreement before the end of the administration?

MS. SINGH: So, Tara, I don't know if you're tracking the latest developments, if that's what you're referencing, but this morning a judge denied our motion.

Q: Is he going to pursue that further?

MS. SINGH: So, we're in conjunction with the Department of Justice, the department is considering our options. But since this just happened this morning, I just don't have more to provide at this time.

Q: just to follow up on Matthew Livelsberger, were there any warning signs that his commander would have been aware of? Was there any doubt that he should be able to take this leave to the US?

MS. SINGH: That's something that - it's under investigation by local law enforcement. I just don't have more details to provide with [ph] you at this time. If I'm able to at a later date, I certainly will.

Q: And then separately, there are videos showing US military vehicles heading into northern Syria near Kobani. Are US forces building a base there or what's going on?

MS. SINGH: Yeah, I've seen some of the reports and have gotten questions about that. There is - no plans to build a US base in Kobani. So, I'm not sure where that's coming from.

Q: Okay, do you know, is it anything regarding US partner forces in the region?

MS. SINGH: That that I can't speak to. As you know, we certainly have encouraged and welcome the cessation of violence between SDF and other forces in that region. We're continuing to work and focus on our mission, which you know why we're in Syria, to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS. But when it comes to US forces in Kobani, there's no plan or intent right now to set up any base. I'm not sure where those reports are coming from.

Q: Thanks, Sabrina. Going back to the New Orleans attack and Las Vegas, can you definitively say whether Livelsberger and Jabbar ever served at the same base or in the same unit together?

MS. SINGH: Well, Army has their records and I'd refer you to Army to further clarify where they served. I'm not tracking, and I think the FBI said this, that there's a connection between the two events. I'm not tracking that there's an overlap in their service record. That being said, I would refer you to Army just to speak more to that. But at this moment, I'm not tracking that they had an overlap at any time. Of course, I'm going to go to the phones and then come back in the room.

Q: Thank you. Just two quick questions. Are US troops in Kobani? And then, do you have any information about an Army soldier who was arrested allegedly for stealing telephone information? His name is Cameron Wagenius?

h: Jeff, on your latter question, I don't have any information on that. On your first question on Kobani, I'm not aware of US forces. Again, I've seen those reports and, as Liz had asked me earlier about US forces establishing some type of base or presence in Kobani, I'm not tracking that that is accurate or that we have plans to do so in any way.

Q: Yeah, thanks. Sabrina, can you confirm if the chairman has met with any of the transition - the Trump transition people so far? Is he expecting to make his pitch for why he should stay in a position in the new administration?

MS. SINGH: Yeah, thanks, Mike, for the question. For questions about the chairman, I think as you know, I'm going to refer you to Joint Staff to speak to that. As of today, January 3rd, I can tell you that the transition members have met with 79 DOD officials. We are committed to a responsible and smooth transition. But when it comes to the Joint Staff, I'd refer you to them to speak to their engagements with the transition team. I'll come back in the room.

Q: Thanks, Sabrina. Without speaking to the case in New Orleans and any motivations there, how does the Pentagon assess ISIS's core ability to conduct external operations?

MS. SINGH: Well, I mean, ISIS retains capabilities, as we've seen in Iraq and Syria, and that's why we have our forces in both of those countries to ensure that ISIS can never reconstitute or resurge or surge back to what it was just a decade ago. I mean the entire mission of our force presence there is to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS And that's why we've partnered with the Syrian Democratic Forces over the past few years and that's why we continue to conduct strikes against ISIS positions, whether it be as recently as in the Badiya desert or elsewhere, because of course ISIS remains a threat, but they certainly are not the same threat that they were a decade ago.

Q: Thank you very much, Sabrina, Happy New Year.

MS. SINGH: Happy New Year.

Q: Thank you. I have two questions. President Biden signed the National Defense Authorization Act regarding the stationing of 28,500 US troops in South Korea. Do you think that there will be a change in the role of the US troops in South Korea? Any change?

MS. SINGH: I think the short answer is no. We have a - an ironclad commitment with ROK [ph] when it comes to our mil-to-mil cooperation, those channels and those lines of communication, you know are still good and are - the ROK is a valued partner of the United States when it comes to our presence in the Indo-Pacific, so I'm not, you know, anticipating any changes to that.

Q: In South Korea, there is a currently a war between anti-South Korea - anti-United States, pro-Chinese forces and the pro-US anti-Chinese forces in South Korea. What impact do you think South Korea's security vacuum will have on the security of the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific? And will this affect any other key US alliance?

MS. SINGH: So just to get at the heart of your question, there's no change to the US ROK Alliance when it comes to our mil-to-mil cooperation. When it comes to the domestic issues and forces happening in the Republic of Korea, obviously it's something that we're going to monitor. But you know those are things that the people of the Republic of Korea are going to have to chart for themselves.

I can only speak on behalf of the military cooperation between our two militaries. And that still remains strong. And it's, you know, going to continue on beyond this administration as well. I'm going to go to the phones and then happy to come back in the room.

Q: Thanks, Sabrina. Can you talk about the status of the so-called cease fire between SDF and the Turkish backed forces? And what level of support is the US providing SDF in the Kobani area or in - in that particular part of Syria?

MS. SINGH: Thanks, Howard, for the question. So as you heard me say earlier, you know, we do support the cessation of all violence in parts of Syria. Right now, this is a time to focus on and increase stability in the region. As we've said before from this podium, the US supports Syria's territorial integrity.

And our focus is on promoting an inclusive Syrian led political process while remaining focused on our mission there, which is to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS and any terrorism coming out of Syria. We know that ISIS uses moments like this to try and exploit instability, which is why we are continuing our mission there to ensure that ISIS can never reconstitute or surge back to what we saw just a decade ago.

I'll leave it at that.

Q: Thank you, Sabrina. I have two questions here. First, could you clarify the date of the next UDCG meeting? Is it going to be on January 7th or later? And will there be another leader level meeting led by President Biden, as planned before, or is this the last meeting during this administration? And second question, should we expect more PDA announcements for Ukraine in the coming weeks? Thank you.

MS. SINGH: Thanks for the question. So in terms of PDA announcements, I'm not going to get ahead of anything, and I have no announcements to make today. What I had said at the beginning of the press briefing was that on January 7th, the secretary will be leaving for Ramstein for the UDCG and that will be the 25th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.

In terms of the President's schedule, you know, I'm not going to speak for that. I'd refer you to the White House for anything that involves travel for the President. And then, last question from the phone and then happy to come in the room.

Q: Great, thank you so much. I was just wondering, is there anything that you can say about the incident over in the Red Sea with the Gettysburg shooting down one of the planes assigned to Harry S Truman? Is there any stand down? What kind of discussions were held between the US and our partners and allies to assure that they would not also face similar situations with our ships?

MS. SINGH: Thanks, Heather, for the question. So I don't have more to provide than what has been put out by CENTCOM previously. What happened with our F-18, you know, that that is under investigation. I think you saw that the Gettysburg did mistakenly fire and hit one of our F-18s. Again, it's an ongoing investigation. I just don't have more to provide at this time. I'll come back in the room.

Q: Actually two questions related to Ukraine. Is there any planning underway for another UDCG if the next administration chooses to continue? Or do you believe this is the last one?

MS. SINGH: I can only speak for this administration. Right now, there's only planning for - I can only speak for the planning that is involved in this upcoming UDCG, which will be the secretary's leaving on January 7th, should the incoming administration, incoming secretary choose to host more UDCG's, that's a determination made for them. I just can't speak to that.

Q: And the 1.25 - $1.25 billion PDA announced on December 30th, will that all get there by the 20th?

MS. SINGH: That one package? That - that one announcement?

Q: Yeah.

MS. SINGH: No. So PDA is - because it's announced, does not - and I think we've said this pretty publicly as well. PDAs, as they get announced, capability and equipment flows off our shelves as it's available. So it is very likely that you are going to see more capabilities continue to flow to Ukraine post this administration.

That's very normal. When PDAs get announced, you know, we've had PDA announced from November, December. That capability continues to flow. That doesn't mean that that package is necessarily closed out. It does take some equipment can get there within days. Some equipment, as you know, can take much longer.

Q: Sabrina, regardless if there is a relationship between what happened in New Orleans and Las Vegas, you have two US service members who went rogue. One who actually killed other Americans, another one who is an active service member, highly decorated. Is the department doing enough to monitor the mental well-being of these individuals, specifically in the case of Las Vegas?

MS. SINGH: Well, Charlie, what I will say is that we have a variety of resources available to our service members. And you know, I'm not speaking on behalf of the VA, but of course the VA has a variety of mental health resources available to those who have served - that from our department include those available within the chain of command those available on base.

And of course, we have military One Source that's available online. I think what's important with these two incidents is that you have to remember that the vast majority of men and women who serve in uniform do so every single day with the honor, integrity and character, while upholding their oath to protect and defend the Constitution.

These are tragic events that happened in Las Vegas and New Orleans. And you know, the department and under the secretary's tenure has taken action to address whether it be extremism or, other extremist activities within the department. That was something that the secretary took very seriously when he came into office.

So, there are these resources available to our service members. There are resources to those who served. I think what's important to remember is that again the vast majority who serve in our military do so with honor and integrity every single day.

Q: Thank you, Sabrina. Regarding aid to Gaza, in the last 24 hours, there is - there have been like 77 civilians have been killed and 45 have been injured because of the IDF strikes, even inside the safe zone inside Gaza. So that's come even after the letter that we sent by the Secretary Austin with Secretary Blinken asking Israel to do more to prevent civilians there from any impact of these strikes.

So do you have concerns about the civilians casualties inside Gaza? And do you believe that Israel has to do more to prevent these civilians or avoid them from these strikes? Thank you.

MS. SINGH: So nothing has changed in terms of our position on what we have said about the mitigation of civilian harm. The secretary in his calls with the previous minister of defense, Minister Galant, to Minister Katz, always impresses upon and has impressed upon each of them that civilians need to be protected and moved out of the battle space.

There have been far too many innocent civilians that have been killed. It's also important to remember that Hamas uses civilians and embeds in these civilian infrastructures. That, you know, puts people's lives at risk. But absolutely, absolutely, more needs to be done to protect innocent civilians.

And you've seen such a concerted effort by this department and from others, in this administration, to get humanitarian aid into the people that need it most in Gaza. I mean, as you will all remember in this room, we set up a maritime corridor to inject aid into Gaza as quickly as possible.

You know, we're going to keep having those conversations for as long as we're in office with our Israeli counterparts to do more. But again, things could change tomorrow if Hamas also accepted the cease fire deal that's in place that would end these - the violence that we're continuing to see in the region. Okay. All right, short briefing. Thanks, everyone. Happy New Year.

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