[Australia]: Message to the United States [SEC=TOP SECRET]

[Owen]

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LIAISON OFFICER TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE UNITED STATES JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF​

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION: TOP SECRET (ENCRYPTED)​

27 January 2006

Dear General Clements, My name is Commodore Allison Norris and I am the Australian Department of Defence's Liaison Officer to the Chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff. My role is based at the Australian Embassy in Washington and I will be working with you to implement this new phase of our bilateral military relationship. With the Status of Forces Agreement and the Agreement in regards to the Naval Communication Station at North West Cape now in force, I will be your point of contact to liaise and arrange with in regards to United States Armed Forces personnel and equipment being moved to or through Australia. At this time we are anticipating a contingent from the United States Navy to be based at that Naval Communication Station to assist in its operations as a joint base. I look forward to hearing from you and having a productive relationship. Yours sincerely, Commodore Allison Norris.

Embassy of Australia, 1601 Massachusetts Ave NW, WASHINGTON, D.C. 20036 Telephone: +1 202-797-3000​

Protective Marking:	Business Impact Level:	Compromise of Information Confidentiality:	Required to be Encrypted:
UNOFFICIAL	No Business Impact	No damage. This information does not form part of official duty.
OFFICIAL	Low Business Impact	No or insignificant damage. This is the majority of routine information.
OFFICIAL: Sensitive	Low to Medium Business Impact	Limited damage to an individual, organisation or government generally if compromised.
PROTECTED	High Business Impact	Damage to the national interest, organisations or individuals.
SECRET	Extreme Business Impact	Serious damage to the national interest, organisations or individuals.
TOP SECRET	Catastrophic Business Impact	Exceptionally grave damage to the national interest, organisations or individuals.

Odinson

 

[Owen]

Odinson

 

[Odinson]

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CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF​

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ENCRYPTED MESSAGE​

TO: Commodore Allison Norris, Australian Department of Defence's Liaison Officer to the Chairman of The United States Joint Chiefs of Staff ( Owen )
FROM: General Roy Clements, Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff of The United States of America

Commodore Norris,

Your message is welcomed and well-received. I have spoken with the secretaries of Defense and the Navy who have given me clear direction on what our parameters are. The United States Navy and Marine Corps will consider several phases of military deployments to Australia. These phases, as of now, include: the stationing of surface vessels in Australia; the stationing of submarines in Australia; and the stationing of personnel and possibly security forces in Australia at the Harold E. Holt Communication Station.

You can expect to hear from Captain Leon Price, the commander of Frigate Squadron One, who will discuss the possibility of stationing five Celestial-class frigates in Australia. Also, you can expect to soon hear from Rear Admiral Brent Goodman, the Commander of The Office of Naval Intelligence. Rear Admiral Goodman will discuss the stationing of forces at the Harold E. Holt Communication Station so that it can once again be made a joint station between Australia and the United States.

The Pentagon is excited to become a direct partner with Australia. Together, our armed forces will be able to better protect the Australian people and provide further stability and security to Oceania, the Pacific, and the Indian Ocean.​

Very respectfully,

Roy Clements
General USAF, Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff
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[Odinson]

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COMMANDER OF FRIGATE SQUADRON ONE​

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ENCRYPTED MESSAGE​

TO: Commodore Allison Norris, Australian Department of Defence's Liaison Officer to the Chairman of The United States Joint Chiefs of Staff ( Owen )
FROM: Captain Leon Price USN, Commander of Frigate Squadron One

Commodore Norris,

I hope that this message reaches you well. I have been authorized to reach out to you directly regarding the stationing of Frigate Squadron One, which consists of five Celestial-class frigates, in Australia. My command consists of the first frigate squadron used by the Navy since we originally deployed Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates. Celestial-class frigates are highly advanced and arguably the most capable frigates currently deployed by any Navy in the world.

I have been given information from the Secretary of The Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations regarding potential locations for the stationing of these vessels. Currently, the Navy normally stations an entire squadron of frigates or destroyers at the same base. Because the stationing of U.S. Navy surface vessels in Australia will be limited for now, I think that it would be best to station the vessels in my squadron in two different locations. This would allow the Navy to be more versatile in responding to threats around Australia more quickly, and it would also decrease our vulnerability.

This is what I am currently considering: stationing three frigates at HMAS Stirling and stationing two frigates at HMAS Cairnes. We could also station Marines from the Marine Corps Security Forces at these bases to assist with securing the bases and protecting our vessels when they are in port. While I feel more than confident that the Australian Navy is more than capable of protecting its ports, we would be more than happy to assist in that mission as well to show our commitment to pulling our weight.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Very respectfully,

Leon Price
Captain USN, Commander of Frigate Squadron One
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