GATES' WAVE - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates waves to the crowd gathered to mark Rolling Thunder at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., May 29, 2011, saying it will be his last Memorial Day address before he retires in June. Rolling Thunder is an annual event in which thousands of veterans ride motorcycles through the city to call attention to prisoners of war and those missing in action. DOD photo by Fred W. Baker IIIGates Travels To Asia With Message Of Continuity -- Reuters
Defense Secretary Robert Gates heads to Asia for a final time as Pentagon chief on Tuesday, looking to reassure allies the United States is committed to regional security despite tightening defense budgets and his own imminent departure.
Gates, who leaves office at the end of June, will meet his counterparts from Australia, China and other countries at the Shangri-La security dialogue in Singapore before traveling to Brussels for meetings with officials of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
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More News On Secretary Gates And His Last Trip Abroad As "Pentagon Chief"
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On his last trip abroad, Gates to argue that tighter budgets won’t cut US role in Asia -- Washington Post
Gates to Display U.S. Military Staying Power on Final Trip to Asia -- Bloomberg
Gates to reassure Asian allies on US military ties -- AFP
Gates heads to Singapore on last trip as Pentagon boss -- CTV news