The following readout was provided by Department of Defense Spokesman Eric Pahon:
Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr. Kathleen Hicks visited U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) in Omaha, Nebraska, on December 17th.
In Omaha, Deputy Secretary Hicks met with STRATCOM Commander U.S. Navy Admiral Chas Richard and other senior leaders, and gained a deeper understanding of strategic threats to U.S. national security, nuclear modernization and deterrence dynamics.
During her visit, Deputy Secretary Hicks received briefings on the current threat environment and the status of U.S. strategic forces. She and STRATCOM leadership also discussed integrated deterrence and escalation management in the context of STRATCOM's mission to "deter strategic attack and employ forces, as directed, to guarantee the security of our nation and our Allies.
Nebraska was the final stop on a multi-state tour which began December 13. During her travels, Deputy Secretary Hicks met with lawmakers, military leaders and service members to see first-hand the Department's efforts to rapidly advance warfighting concepts and capabilities to meet advanced threats, and hear about challenges and successes within each command.
Dr. Hicks also met with leaders and service members across the commands she visited to gain insight into family readiness challenges, career development, and other issues which affect the workforce.
