Today in the Department of Defense, Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen conduct a press briefing at 1 p.m. EDT in the Pentagon Briefing Room  Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn and Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Scott Gould will testify at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Veteran's Affairs regarding the Seamless Transition Interagency Collaboration between the two departments regarding Wounded Warrior Care at 10 a.m. EDT in room 418, Russell Senate Building. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen and China's Chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army Gen. Chen Bingde will conduct a briefing at 4:15 p.m. EDT in the Pentagon Briefing Room (2E973). Journalists without a Pentagon building pass must be picked up at the River Entrance only.  Secretary of the Army John McHugh and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Martin E. Dempsey testify at a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee on fiscal 2012 budget request for the Department of the Army at 10:30 a.m. EDT in room, Dirksen 192.