[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) discussed the military’s efforts to enhance troop and logistical readiness on the Korean Peninsula with Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford at yesterday’s Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing. Shanahan assured Duckworth he would work to bridge the gap between the Republic of Korea and Japan by utilizing his relationships with their leaders and continuing to work together on joint military exercises and technological development with South Korea and Japan. Duckworth also discussed the changing nature of military exercises and logistics planning on the Peninsula with Dunford, who expressed his confidence in current troop readiness and logistics planning should conflict with the north Korean regime arise. Video of her questions during the hearing is available here.
“There’s no doubt we will continue to see tensions on the Korean Peninsula after the latest breakdown in talks between the President and Chairman Kim,” Duckworth said. “While we focus on these developments in the Peninsula, we must also think critically about a potential long-term conflict and the logistical challenges it would bring.
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After visiting South Korea and Japan in January of 2018 on an official trip with U.S. Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Duckworth and Gallego warned about how deadly and destructive renewed hostilities with North Korea would be. Duckworth also wrote to President Trump in November of 2017 requesting an analysis of how many American servicemembers and innocent civilians would lose their lives if we went to war with North Korea.
