By C. Todd Lopez
WASHINGTON (Aug. 29, 2024) -- The Defense Department has approved a request by the Department of Homeland Security to provide assistance to the Secret Service for the presidential and vice-presidential candidates during the 2024 campaigns through Inauguration Day 2025, the deputy pentagon press secretary said today.
"The secretary of defense approved the request and directed the commander of U.S. Northern Command to plan and provide and execute increased support to the United States Secret Service at various locations across the United States during the 2024 election campaigns," Sabrina Singh said during a briefing today at the Pentagon.
According to Singh, the department's support will continue throughout the campaigns, the elections and the inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025.
The department has a long history of providing support to the Secret Service when asked to assist.
"The Department of Defense has supported Secret Service protective activities for the sitting president and vice president since Congress passed the Presidential Protection Assistance Act of 1976," said Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the Secret Service. "As has been the case for many years, the U.S. Secret Service relies on federal, state and local partners to assist with protective operations."
The Secret Service, Guglielmi said, has recently bolstered its protective operations in order to ensure higher levels of safety and security for those it protects.
"As part of this effort, the Department of Defense is providing the U.S. Secret Service with additional assistance including logistics, transportation and communications, through the 2024 campaign season," Guglielmi said. "The U.S. Secret Service appreciates the invaluable commitment of our military partners and their continued support."
Gaza Update
Also of note is that the final aid bound for Gaza, which was initially meant for delivery over the now-shuttered floating pier, is slated to be delivered this week to the port of Ashdod in Israel. From there, the aid will be transported to Gaza.
"Earlier this week, the Cape Trinity arrived from Cyprus to the port of Ashdod and has begun the process of unloading the remaining pallets of humanitarian aid," Singh said. "That's approximately six million pounds of aid to be distributed within Gaza. The offloading process is expected to take between four to six days."
Singh said when the Cape Trinity has finished unloading aid, it will return to Greece to allow some of the crew to disembark and will then continue its return home to the United States. The MV Cape Trinity, a roll-on/roll-off cargo ship, is owned by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
In May DOD deployed a Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore system, or JLOTS, on the Mediterranean Sea to facilitate delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The JLOTS system included a floating pier, called the "Trident Pier," which was attached to the Gaza shore. U.S. Central Command closed out the JLOTS mission in mid-July.
While the pier was in operation, the U.S. and partners delivered nearly 20 million pounds of aid into Gaza. The six million pounds of aid being delivered now to the port of Ashdod by the MV Cape Trinity was initially meant to be delivered over the Trident Pier. Ω
