“There are very solid grounds for re-evaluating our nuclear force structure,” writes Major General Paul Monroe (Ret.) in his recent Politico op-ed. He comes out in support of the recent nuclear reductions announced by the White House, which is contemplating options to go to as low as 300 operationally deployed …
In his State of the Union address, President Obama declared that “America is back.” Examining Obama’s foreign policy efforts, however, this statement seems doubtful. To better understand Obama’s foreign policy, Heritage hosted a panel discussion with Kim Holmes, Mark Thiessen, and Clifford May. As Holmes has previously written, Obama defines …
The recently released Congressional Research Service (CRS) report “A Historical Perspective on ‘Hollow Forces’” misses two important points in its analysis of the defense budget, impacts of the Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011, and the usage of the term “hollow force.” First, the report does not even attempt to …
According to press reports, the Philippines and the United States are exploring ways to expand U.S. military presence in the region, including increasing Navy port visits, increasing the size and frequency of military exercises, rotating maritime patrol aircraft, and possibly even rotating U.S. soldiers through Philippine military facilities. Philippine defense …
The Department of Defense’s recently released budget is based on a hope that the international environment has structurally changed and that the United States will never again face the obligation of fighting two major wars simultaneously, according to the most recent publication by the Defending Defense Coalition of the American …
In discussing the Department of Defense’s upcoming budget request, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta stated “our approach was to use this as an opportunity to maintain the strongest military in the world, to not hollow out the force.” In reality, America’s enemies will quickly determine that the United States will not …
An increasing number of leaders in the House and the Senate recognize that the Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011 will impose a disproportionate burden on an already strained defense budget. The latest corrective effort comes from House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R–VA). The BCA established caps on spending for …
The Obama Administration is using a new buzzword when referring to its national security strategy: “reversibility.” In the most recent Defense Strategy Guidance, this term is described as “a key part of our decision calculus” and essentially states that the military will maintain a smaller force that can be built …
As President Obama has hastily drawn down forces in Iraq and Afghanistan to meet arbitrary timelines, he has taken the opportunity to ramp up rhetoric on a strategic military shift to the Asia–Pacific region. He recently made it clear in the new defense strategy guidance that military focus will be …
