2: Defense

A 21st Century Military for America

Other Information:

“Our country's greatest military asset is the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States. When we do send our men and women into harm's way, we must also clearly define the mission, prescribe concrete political and military objectives, seek out advice of our military commanders, evaluate the intelligence, plan accordingly, and ensure that our troops have the resources, support, and equipment they need to protect themselves and fulfill their mission.” — Barack Obama, Chicago Foreign Affairs Council, April 23, 2007 The Problem A 20th Century Structure for 21st Century Problems: We have inherited a national security structure that was developed and organized in the late 1940s to win the Cold War. It remains a rigid bureaucracy of government agencies, relying upon a restrictive and disconnected set of legal authorities. New Leadership and Vision is Needed: America simply cannot afford more of the old approach to our national defense. Instead, it needs a Commander-in-Chief with the right combination of judgment, vision, and leadership for the 21st century. A Military Under Strain: Currently, our soldiers, seamen, airmen and Marines are deployed around the globe, working valiantly to defend our nation. Yet, these heroes are under-resourced and asked to do too much by a policy that has too often taken their sacrifice for granted. Due to their incredible courage and ingenuity, they persevere, but at incredible cost to themselves and their families. Recruitment and Retention Problems: A country of 300 million strong should not struggle to find enough qualified citizens to serve. Recruiting and retention problems have been swept under the rug by an administration that does not understand the value of service to our nation. A System Not Serving our Troops as Well as They Serve Us: As the shameful events at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the recent reports on growing numbers of homeless and unemployed veterans show, we simply are not taking proper care of our wounded warriors and veterans.

Objective(s):

2.1: Rebuild the Military

2.2: Military Expansion

2.3: Leadership from the Top

2.4: Burden on Troops and Families

2.5: Military Equipment

2.6: Weapons Programs

2.7: Global Reach in the Air

2.8: Power Projection at Sea

2.9: National Missile Defense

2.10: Ensure Freedom of Space

2.11: Protect the U.S in Cyberspace

2.12: National Guard and Reserves

2.13: Civilian/Military Integration

2.14: Civilian Assistance Corps

2.15: Security Challenges

2.16: Partners

2.17: Transparency for Military Contractors

2.18: Contracting and Procurement

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