New Plan for A New Military

Today President Obama unveiled a new plan for the United States Military. The plan pares down our current forces into a smaller, leaner, more agile, and more effective force. A force that can respond quickly and decisively to the new threats that face America. Just as expected conservatives railed the President for failing to protect America and taking a back seat again on important decisions that effect the country. Critics cite the plan as America's retreat from global hegemony and leaves the U.S. vulnerable to threats. Republicans, like always are out of touch with the times and continue to be the party of NO! But that is besides the point. This strategy is the correct step forward to keep America safe from emerging threats while reigning in our debt.


To the point about reducing our debt, military spending amounts to over 700 billion dollars. That's almost 5% of our GDP. It is one of the top three expenses for the U.S. government, behind social security and medicare. Recent talk about cutting our spending to reduce our budget has focused on small portions of the budget such as money for stem cell research or ending entitlements. Cutting those is like cutting the out the parsley garnish on the 24oz steak dinner with a side of mashed potatoes and mac & cheese.


Trimming the bloated defense budget would greatly reduce our spending, and could reduce our debt if the savings from defense cuts were put back into reducing the debt. Not to mention our defense budget is larger than the next ten largest defense budgets combined. Even with such cuts we will still spend vastly more on our military than any other nation.

Large standing military are no longer needed today. With the rise of globalization and the world economy countries are more connected than ever. Making full scale war less likely. If a large scale war did break out, it would be fought with advanced technology, lightning quick units, and in urban environments. These require that a military be smaller, more mobile, and equipped with advanced technology. Obama's plan positions the military to meet these demands with the fewest resources and money.

The biggest threat to the safety of Americans today is terrorism. Whether home grown or from abroad the best defense against terrorist attacks is good intelligence and rapid response teams. Small agile units with advanced weaponry are best positioned to meet this threat. The success of the raid on Bin Laden's compound only illustrates how effective those teams can be. The many drone attacks on terrorist leaders further supports this shift in military strategy.

The current military strategy is geared towards the fighting two wars simultaneously. Obama's plan moves the military away from fighting multiple drawn out wars of . It instead positions the military to strike against threats from China and Iran. Specifically, threats from long range missiles, electronic warfare, and cyber warfare. Chief of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsy stated that "Our strategy has always been about our ability to respond to global contingencies wherever and whenever they happen. This does not change." A statement he made to reporters after the plan was announced.

Critics have to recognized that there is no longer a need for a large military that consumes vast amounts of money and resources. In a world with tighter budgets and fewer supplies a bloated defense department is a threat to itself. And the greatest threat to the long term safety of the United States is our huge debt and our hunger for resources. This plan is the first step down the right path.