Recently, the House of Representatives passed an amendment that calls for the removal of all four U.S. Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) currently based in Europe. The sponsors of the amendment, Representatives Mike Coffman (R–CO) and Jared Polis (D–CO), argue that the U.S. should not be subsidizing the defense of its European partners at a time when many European nations…
Today, America is asking its military to do more than ever before. In the past 24 months alone, U.S. military forces have conducted their 10th year of combat operations in Afghanistan, wound down operations in Iraq, started a new no-fly zone in Libya, dramatically escalated counterterrorism operations in Yemen, maintained counter-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia…
A joint project of American Enterprise Institute, Foreign Policy Initiative, and The Heritage Foundation Background The Obama administration has requested that Congress provide $553 billion for the Defense Department’s base budget in FY 2012—$13 billion less than what the administration had projected requesting a year earlier. …
Overview The U.S. government’s primary job is to provide for the common defense. The most important element to protecting vital national interests is the U.S. military, which reinforces America’s diplomatic initiatives, acts to deter threats, and, when necessary, fights and wins the nation’s wars. Two primary components determine a strong military: the quality…
Ma Ying-jeou, inaugurated as Taiwan's new president on May 20, 2008, has pledged to strengthen Taiwan's economic and political relationships with China. At the same time, he has good reason to preserve Taiwan's separate identity, and the U.S. has good reason to support him. Taiwan is one of the most dynamic democracies in Asia and one of America's top 10 trade partners.…
John Tkacik explains how the Chinese government is investing in high technology on CNN.…
A few Members of Congress, motivated by American combat in the Middle East, have called for the reinstatement of a compulsory military draft. The case for coercing young citizens to join the military is supposedly based on social justice?that all should serve?and seems to be buttressed by reports of shortfalls in voluntary enlistment. In a New York Times op-ed…
This month, several individuals detained as "enemy combatants" will make their appeals for freedom to the highest court in the land. Perhaps now, more than any other time in recent memory, the eyes of the world are intensely focused on the United States Supreme Court. In making their decisions, they must walk a fine line between protecting the civil liberties we all…
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has announced that the 800,000 civilian Department of Defense (DOD) employees...…
The Department of Defense (DOD), per the requirements of the fiscal year 2000 National Defense Authorization Act...…
The U.S. Government has issued its annual report on the state of China’s military activities. Most notably, for the...…
A recent report illustrates how miles of red tape are hindering the nation’s ability to properly fund and equip the...…
The armed forces of the United States and the Philippines conducted the 29th annual Balikatan joint military exercises...…
The Pentagon announced this week that those service members who had been wounded during the deadly attack at Fort...…
A Chinese naval task force, including its most modern amphibious ship, a guided-missile destroyer, and two frigates,...…
Government regulations cost Steven Lathrop decades of his life and pushed him into financial ruin, according to a new...…
As the Syrian civil war escalates, it is increasingly spilling over Syria’s borders to threaten Syria’s neighbors and...…
The Chinese yesterday announced new defense and internal security budgets. In keeping with the average double-digit...…
Vice President, Foreign and Defense Policy Studies, E. W. Richardson Fellow, and Director