Rising Intensity of Competition and Conflict
This transcript is made possible through the sponsorship of Schneider Electric
Gen. Herbert J. “Hawk” Carlisle, USAF (Ret.):
Well, good afternoon everyone. It's great to be here. I appreciate everybody being part of this. And let
me start by thanking Orville. Orville, you've been outstanding. I think all of us, whether in uniform or
out, post-uniform, you've been truly a leader of leaders and we can't tell you how much we appreciate
everything you've done.
I am honored to be here. I had the great good fortune to spend 39 years in our Air Force. Last job was
Air Combat Command and Pacific Air Forces before that. So let me introduce the incredible crowd we
have on the stage with me today. I have to say these four gentlemen are great friends, great Patriots,
great Americans, and a great part of our United States Air Force. I asked him earlier if I could use call
signs. So we may go back and forth between call signs and real names. But, General Mark Grace Kelly,
Commander of Air Combat Command. General Mike Minnie Minihan, the Commander of Air Mobility
Command. And General Jim Scorch Hecker, the Commander of U.S. Forces in Europe, Air Forces Africa
and NATO Air Command. And General Keith, no, it's Kevin, right? Kevin, there you go. Inside Joke.
General Kevin Gumby Schneider, Commander of Pacific Air Forces.
I'm going to take just a moment out of our time and it's to congratulate General Kelly. I have to say, a
little bit of an extended tour at Air Combat Command for reasons I think we're all aware of. But Grace, I
got to say, first of all, you fixed everything that I messed up. And more importantly, you have a lot to be
proud of, incredible command tour. And this nation owes you a debt of gratitude, thanks for your
service and prayer.
He's been living in Dodd Hall for nine months if that tells you anything.
So folks, this is a great opportunity to talk about the world we live in today. And I think the rising
competition and conflict within the globe is something that we as a nation have not seen, certainly in my
lifetime as far as I can remember, at this level. I mean, if you just do once around the world, if you think
about what is happening in the INDOPACOM Theater from China, the entire circumference from the
Senkakus with Japan, Taiwan Straits, the 10 dash line now and the South China Sea, with the Philippines,
with Vietnam, with the border disputes with India. And again, I think all you have to do is listen to what
President Xi Jinping says in all of his remarks, the reunification of China and Taiwan, Wolf diplomacy Belt
and Road, the conflict or the competition, thank God it's not conflict yet, but the competition in PACOM
Theater is as high as certainly I can remember in my time. So incredible challenge there.
We all know what's going on after the horrible Hamas attacks in Israel, the Iranian proxies of Hezbollah,
what's happening with the Houthis in the shipping lanes in the Red Sea and the challenges and the fact
in 150 attacks on American forces within the Middle East and that rising challenge in that part of the
world.
And then of course, with what General Hecker deals with every day. And that is almost our starting our
third year war in the Ukraine, the unjust war of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The challenges face the
eastern flank of NATO and where that's going from there, as well as when you think about it, we don't
even talk about the challenges that SOUTHCOM faces and the challenges with the drug cartels to the
South, with the infiltration of China throughout the world in trying to gain again, the ability to displace
the world order, the international order, the rule of law. And replace the United States both
economically and militarily.
