THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

PRESIDENT CLINTON AND FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON HOST THE

          CIVILIAN AND MILITARY LEADERSHIP OF THE ARMED FORCES
                   State Dining Room, The White House
                            February 1, 2000

     This evening, President Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham

Clinton host the civilian and military leadership of the Armed Forces at the White House. This is the sixth White House dinner with the defense leadership and their spouses.

Since last year's dinner, there have been some changes in members of the commanders of the unified commands, the "CINCs", and with the military service chiefs. Tonight, the President will welcome General Eric Sineski as the Army Chief of Staff and General Jim Jones as the Commandant of the Marine Corps, as well as two new theater CINCs: Admiral Denny Blair of the Pacific Command and General Tom Schwartz with the U.S. Forces in Korea.

In his meeting today with the CINCs, the President discussed issues related to the state of readiness of today's armed forces. The meeting also provides n opportunity for the President to gain first-hand perspective from the senior operational commanders and theater CINCs on their respective areas of responsibility.

DINNER PARTICIPANTS

The President and First Lady

The Honorable John Podesta, Chief of Staff

     The Honorable Samuel R. Berger, Assistant to the President for
     National Security Affairs, and Mrs. Berger

     The Honorable Karen A. Tramontano, Assistant to the President and
     Counselor to the Chief of Staff

     The Honorable Leon Fuerth, Assistant to the Vice President for
     National Security Affairs, and Mrs. Fuerth

     The Honorable Joseph J. Simmons, Deputy Assistant to the President
     and Director, White House Military Office, and Mrs. Simmons

     The Honorable James K. Steinberg, Deputy Assistant to the President
     for National Security Affairs and Sherburne Abbott

     The Honorable Johannes A. "Hans" Binnendijk, Special Assistant to
     the President and Senior Director, Defense Policy and Arms Control,
     National Security Council, and Mary Locke

     Department of Defense

     The Honorable William S. Cohen, Secretary of Defense, and Janet
     Langhart

     The Honorable John Hamre, Deputy Secretary of Defense, and Mrs. Hamre

     The Honorable Richard Danzig, Secretary of the Navy, and Mrs. Danzig

     The Honorable Jacques Gansler, Under Secretary of Defense for
     Acquisition,Technology and Logistics, and Mrs. Gansler

     The Honorable Walter B. Slocombe, Under Secretary of Defense for
     Policy and The Honorable Ellen Seidman

     The Honorable Rudy de Leon, Under Secretary of Defense for
     Personnel and Readiness, and Mrs. de Leon

     The Honorable William J. Lynn III, Under Secretary of Defense
     (Comptroller) and Mary Murphy

Joint Chiefs of Staff and CINCs

     General Henry H. Shelton, USA, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
     Staff, and Mrs. Shelton

     General Joseph W. Ralston, USAF, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
     of Staff, and Mrs. Ralston

     General Eric K. Shinseki, USA, Chief of Staff of the Army, and Mrs.
     Shinseki

     General James L. Jones, USMC, Commandant of the Marine Corps, and
     Mrs. Jones

     Admiral Jay L. Johnson, USN, Chief of Naval Operations, and Mrs.
     Johnson

     General Michael E. Ryan, USAF, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and
     Mrs. Ryan

     Admiral James M. Loy, USCG, Commandant of the Coast Guard, and Mrs.
     Loy

     General Thomas A. Schwartz, USA, Commander-in-Chief, United Nations
     Command and Combined Forces Command and Commander, United States
     Forces Korea, and Mrs. Schwartz

     Admiral Dennis C. Blair, USN, Commander-in-Chief, United States
     Pacific Command, and Mrs. Blair

     General Wesley K. Clark, USA, Supreme Allied Commander Europe,
     North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and Mrs. Clark

     Admiral Harold W. Gehman, Jr., USN, Supreme Allied Commander,
     Atlantic and Commander-in-Chief, United States Atlantic Command,
     and Mrs. Gehman

     General Anthony C. Zinni, USMC, Commander-in-Chief, United States
     Central Command, and Mrs. Zinni

     General Richard B. Myers, USAF, Commander-in-Chief, North American
     Aerospace Defense Command and Commander in Chief, United States
     Space Command, and Mrs. Myers

     General Charles E. Wilhelm, USMC, Commander-in-Chief, United States
     Southern Command, and Mrs. Wilhelm

     General Peter J. Schoomaker, USA, Commander-in-Chief, United States
     Special Operations Command, and Mrs. Schoomaker

     Admiral Richard W. Mies, USN, Commander-in-Chief, United States
     Strategic Command, and Mrs. Mies

     General Charles T. Robertson, USAF, Commander-in-Chief, United
     States Transportation Command and Air Mobility Command, and Mrs.
     Robertson

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