Prudent Cuts in Defense Spending

Anyone listening to the speeches at CPAC or reading the op-ed pages in major newspapers might assume the US military is headed for obsolescence.  President Obama’s plan to reduce defense spending has triggered no shortage of over-the-top histrionics. Robert Samuelson calls it “a huge gamble.” John Bolton referred to “an American military that is weak and poorly equipped.”

America’s proposed defense budget for 2015 is $495.6 billion. This is 40% of worldwide expenditures. The next two largest defense budgets belong to China and Russia. Our proposed defense budget is 4 times larger than China’s and 8 times larger than Russia’s. If we combine the US defense budget with those of our closest allies (NATO, Japan, South Korea, Australia), we constitute 70% of world-wide military spending.

This $495.6 billion defense budget does NOT include the cost of the ongoing war in Afghanistan. It does NOT include the cost of Homeland Security ($61 billion), International Affairs ($41 billion), nuclear weapons ($11 billion) and Veterans Affairs ($165 billion, including military pensions).

Simple budget numbers do NOT reflect the high combat-readiness of US forces, forged through a decade of constant combat. US forces lead the world in jointness. Visit any combat headquarters any you will see a mix of uniforms. All communicate effectively at all echelons. Among our enemies, jointness is a one-word oxymoron.

Name any weapon system and the best-in-the-world winner will be American made. US weapons are the world’s gold standard in every category.

Bottomline: Any enemy attacking US vital interests will bring inferior, untested and stove-piped forces to fight our massive, best-equipped, proven and joint team. This will not be a fair fight. Any military challenging the United States and our allies would face proven leaders, command & control, logistics and weapons – all on day one of any fight. There will not be a day two.

When he was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen said, “Our national debt is our biggest national security threat.” At this time of overwhelming military strength and comparative peace, the federal government must balance its budget. With national security comprising half of discretionary spending, modest reductions in defense spending are a prudent path.