Other Heritage Sites | Blog | Bookstore | About Us | Contact Us 

Advanced Search
Heritage home Issues Where We Stand Experts Press and Media Support Heritage
Issues
List all Issues
Policy Archive: view by date
Policy Archive: view by issue
Policy Archive: view by type




   ISSUES  > Features
 

Defense: Maintaining U.S. Military Strength

by Jack Spencer

Download print-friendly version

Action: Sustain the increases in defense spending and restore the combat focus of deployments and modernization.

The Issue in Brief

Only robust and sustained funding can build and maintain the caliber of soldiers, airmen, sailors, and Marines that the nation needs in the 21st century. President George W. Bush has submitted defense budgets adequate to fund the war on terrorism. However, to prepare the armed forces for future phases of the war, as well as for more unpredictable and emerging threats, this level of defense spending must be sustained for many years. Congress, which has wasted the nation's budget surplus on special-interest projects that have nothing to do with the war on terrorism or the recession,1 must make a long-term commitment to provide adequate defense spending for the future security of the nation.

In addition, the Department of Defense (DOD) must cut waste and devote its resources to measures that are crucial for defending the nation. The Pentagon wastes resources each year on outdated weapons systems, inefficient business practices, unnecessary missions, excess infrastructure, and non-defense spending--often to advance parochial interests. For example, the armed forces spend approximately $3 billion per year on peace operations in the Balkans that have little to do with advancing America's security.

According to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, the Pentagon could save 5 percent of its budget annually by instituting operational efficiencies to eliminate waste. Similarly, a panel of experts appointed by the secretary has estimated that the department could save $15 billion to $30 billion each year by overhauling its financial practices. That money should be used to fund the war on terrorism and to transform the U.S. military into a 21st century fighting force.

What Happened in 2002

In 2002, the war on terrorism began to unfold and expand, defense modernization and transformation progressed, and significant spending increases were secured. Since September 11, 2001, America's armed forces have begun operations in Afghanistan and have been deployed to the Philippines, Djibouti, Yemen, and elsewhere to wage the war against terrorism. War in Iraq is becoming increasingly likely as Saddam Hussein continues to defy the United Nations and continues to support terrorism and develop illegal weapons of mass destruction. In addition, tension is now rising on the Korean peninsula as greater evidence emerges regarding the extent of North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

Fortunately, Congress largely funded the President's 2002 request for defense spending, appropriating a $37.5 billion increase over last year's funding that brings total Pentagon spending for 2003 to $355.5 billion. Congress and the President are also making tough decisions on eliminating waste and outdated weapons systems. For example, the Crusader mobile artillery system has been eliminated, and Congress has finally agreed to close more unnecessary and underused military bases beginning in 2005.

What to Do in 2003

America's fighting men and women are prevailing in the war on terrorism not because of the defense policies instituted during the past decade, but in spite of them. Their exemplary performance demonstrates the high quality of their character more than anything else. If America's armed forces are to continue to perform at this level, certain policies and government actions are essential.

The Department of Defense must reduce or halt major investments in the production of some conventional weapons if they draw critically needed funds away from other defense priorities. For example, DOD is slated to spend hundreds of billions of dollars in the coming years on short-range fighter aircraft, with no plans to procure new long-range bombers. While America's fighter force does need to be modernized, part of that planned investment would be better spent on bombers and unmanned aircraft. The Pentagon should also focus on acquiring new technology that allows weapons to operate with less support. The development of hybrid engines and fuel cells, for example, would reduce the need for fuel vehicles to support field operations. Additionally, sensors and networked information systems would allow smaller numbers of people to cover larger swaths of territory.

Congress should work with the Defense Department to eliminate waste. With regard to personnel, for example, the staffs of many higher-ranking military officials could be reduced with no loss of efficiency and many other administrative tasks could be outsourced, freeing military personnel for tasks more directly related to defense. While progress has been made in this respect, numerous other opportunities exist to eliminate duplicative services at DOD.

Jack Spencer is Policy Analyst for Defense and National Security in the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies at The Heritage Foundation.

experts

The Heritage Foundation

Jack Spencer
Policy Analyst, Defense and National Security
Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies
The Heritage Foundation
214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 608-6124
fax: (202) 675-1758
jack.spencer@heritage.org

Baker Spring
F. M. Kirby Research Fellow in National Security Policy
Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies
The Heritage Foundation
214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 608-6112
fax: (202) 675-1758
baker.spring@heritage.org

Helle C. Dale
Deputy Director, Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies
The Heritage Foundation
214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002
(202) 608-6114
fax: (202) 675-1758
helle.dale@heritage.org

Larry M. Wortzel, Ph.D.
Vice President
Director, Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for
International Studies
The Heritage Foundation
214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 608-6110
fax: (202) 675-1758
larry.wortzel@heritage.org

Other Experts

Angelo Codevilla, Ph.D.
Professor, International Relations
Boston University
152 Bay State Road
Boston, MA 02215
(617) 353-6417
info@iwp.edu

Kenneth de Graffenried, Ph.D.
Institute of World Politics
1521 16th Street
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 462-2101

Elaine Donnelly
President
Center for Military Readiness
P.O. Box 51600
Livonia, MI 48151
(202) 347-5333
info@cmrlink.org

Frank Gaffney, Jr.
President
Center for Security Policy
1920 L Street, NW, Suite 210
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 835-9077
info@centerforsecuritypolicy.org

Phillip Gold, Ph.D.
Senior Fellow
Discovery Institute
1402 Third Avenue, Suite 400
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 292-0401

Daniel Goure, Ph.D.
Senior Fellow
Lexington Institute
1600 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 900
Arlington, VA 22209
(703) 522-5828
mail@lexingtoninstitute.org

Fred C. Iklé, Ph.D.
Distinguished Scholar
Center for Strategic
and International Studies
1800 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 775-3155
IkleOfc@csis.org

Sven F. Kraemer
President
Global Challenge 2000
1521 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 986-6224
fax: (202) 462-6045

Mackubin T. Owens
Professor of Strategy
and Force Planning
U. S. Naval War College
686 Cushing Road
Newport, RI 02841
(401) 841-6454

1. See, for example, Ronald D. Utt, "Lobbyists Continue to Use Tragedy to Raid American Taxpayers: An Update," Heritage Foundation Backgrounder No. 1502, November 13, 2001.

2. U.S. Department of Defense, news release, "Details of Fiscal 2003 Department of Defense (DOD) Budget Request," February 4, 2002. For full details of the President's 2003 DOD budget request, see www.dtic.mil/comptroller/fy2003budget/.

3. For more on the base infrastructure issue, see U.S. Department of Defense, Base Structure Report: Fiscal Year 2001 Baseline, 2001.

 
 
 
Contact An Expert
MEDIA INFORMATION LINE:
Phone: 202.675.1761
Fax: 202.544.6979

Sign up for Morning Bell Email