Washington is hardly a place for political agreement – yet today, as in 2013, scholars from 15 think tanks across the ideological spectrum are calling for Pentagon and Congressional leaders to enact major military reforms.
Led by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA), and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the participating think tanks and their signatories urge policymakers to make the hard changes necessary to renew America’s military strength. These include closing excess facilities, right-sizing an oversized civilian workforce, and updating military compensation and benefits models to give more value to future service members.
In an open letter appearing in today’s Politico, the signatories note:
“Reforms in these three areas will not be easy, painless, or popular. But they are essential to maintaining a strong national defense over the long term. These responsible initiatives should be undertaken by Pentagon and Congressional leaders regardless of the level of defense spending. While these reforms are necessary, they are not in and of themselves sufficient to meet the fiscal and strategic challenges the military currently faces. Those of us who have joined together in support of these efforts may differ on many issues, but we are unified in our agreement on the need to pursue long-overdue defense and institutional reforms. Excess facilities, an oversized civilian workforce, and outdated military compensation and benefits models all jeopardize the combat power these investments are intended to support. Failure to pursue these changes could come at great cost, increasing the chance that our service men and women will be unprepared for future challenges.”
Full text of the letter is available here. To read the original 2013 letter, click here.
Signatory scholars come from the following organizations:
American Enterprise Institute (AEI)
American University School of International Service
Brookings Institution
Center for American Progress
Center for a New American Security
Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments
Center for Strategic and International Studies
Council on Foreign Relations
Foreign Policy Initiative
German Marshall Fund
Hoover Institution
National Security Network
Stimson Center
Third Way
Truman National Security Project
AEI scholar Mackenzie Eaglen is available to discuss the letter and recommended reforms. To arrange an interview or background call, please contact a AEI Media Services at mediaservices@aei.org or 202.862.5829.
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