At a time when there are military conflicts all over the world—Ukraine, Israel, Iran—we should be concerned about our own lack of military preparation, if we are called to participate. The administration and Congress have fallen short in protecting us from countries that consider us to be the enemy. The administration has proposed only a 1% increase for 2025 over what was proposed for this year:
Adjusted for inflation, it’s about $140 billion below the 2010 budget that many analysts,
including these pages, deemed insufficient in far less challenging times. While America’s military remains the strongest and most capable in the world, our advantage over potential adversaries has been shrinking rapidly. We must do better if we are to deter our enemies.
Adequately funding the military allows us to update the technology, replace old equipment and restore stockpiles. There are critical areas that seriously need to be addressed:
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joe Dunford referred to the Army as the 'linchpin' for combat operations: 'I use that word—linchpin—deliberately, because the Army literally has been the force that has held together the joint force with critical command-and-control capabilities, critical logistics capabilities, and other enablers,' such as base defense, transportation and engineering.
What is less widely recognized is that this is also frequently true during peacetime. Consisting of less than 50 percent of the total force, the Army has provided: 75 percent of the U.S. joint force support to Ukraine; 80 percent of the COVID National Guard response; 80 percent of domestic border security support; two-thirds of the Joint Staff’s directed readiness requirements; and over half of the Combatant Commands’ global requirements.
If you don’t find those figures alarming, consider these data:
With an average age of 28 years, only 70% of combat aircraft are mission-ready. The Navy is retiring a submarine every two years, while China, which already has the world’s largest navy, recently deployed advanced subs that can run silent.
What’s necessary to catch up? Sustained yearly increases of $100 billion or more—about 0.4% to 0.5% of gross domestic product. The Reagan-era buildup that helped win the Cold War peaked at 6% of GDP, about twice the current level, which is near a historically low point.
Rather than addressing the current shortage, the current administration believes that the proper approach to maintaining our national security is through diplomacy.
Recommendations have been made for allowing the military to function more efficiently with the funds provided. One suggestion has been to shift some programs that don’t relate directly to defense to other agencies. There are also technologies available that are more effective and less expensive. And, no surprise, Congress needs to get out of the way:
Congress and DoD must also keep in mind that Taiwan is just one potential contingency in one region. Thereby, Congress should direct an assessment of threats beyond a Chinese invasion of Taiwan—including North Korea, Europe and the Middle East—and how the defense budget supports preparedness to counter these other threats. Building an overly specialized force for a single scenario leaves the United States less prepared to overmatch adversaries anywhere in the world. The United States will go to the next war with the Army it has built at the time; it must be an Army that can win that war while protecting its Soldiers.
If we consider all the materiel we are sending abroad with no end in sight, our inability to adequately staff and supply our forces as a volunteer army, and the reluctance to admit that our national security is in jeopardy, there is reason to be very concerned:
. . . both lawmakers and service officials said planners need to put a higher priority on the readiness issues, even if they are harder to quantify than things like new platform purchases and troops’ pay raises.
'I am frustrated by the number of cuts from operations and maintenance accounts made thus far to pay for lines and programs that have a zip code,' said Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla. ‘While I know that you all need to make difficult tradeoffs in a budget constrained environment, it is time for us all — the services and Congress — to do better.’
Enemies like China, Russia and Iran have shown no interest in honoring our history as a powerful nation; they know very well how we are lacking strength and preparation, and at some point, they may take advantage of perceived weakness. Is it time for government to step up and adequately protect our country?
Convention of States professes that fiscal responsibility is essential to the survival of our republic. We also know that the Constitution holds our government accountable for protecting national security. If citizens believe that diplomacy is not enough to keep our country safe, it is their duty to communicate with their representatives about spending priorities.
Get to know your local elected officials and communicate with them so they can represent your ideals.
