Yesterday’s topic at the New York Times “Room for Debate” blog series was on the President’s Afghanistan withdrawal announcement and what to do with the resulting “peace dividend”. Heritage’s Mackenzie Eaglen weighed in: Politics matters in war. It’s why the Army Chief of Staff after Vietnam tried to institute a doctrine where the nation only makes large or prolonged military commitments using all forces, including those in the National Guard and Reserves. But the politically expedient path to draw down U.S. forces in Afghanistan more quickly than military commanders suggest—and …
AMERICA NEEDS A READY AND MODERNIZED FIGHTING FORCE The President’s Budget The Obama Blueprint: While a robust starting point, the Obama budget blueprint fails to fully fund the core defense needs of the United States by about $30 billion in the base defense budget. Creates 10-Year Shortfall: The shortfall likely exceeds $1.3 trillion cumulatively over 10 years against the 4% of GDP benchmark identified as the cost to train, equip, and modernize America’s military for the next five to 10 years. Balanced Defense Program: Congress has sought to restore balance to the …
