Jane Harman: “I support this bill, but believe we have missed an unprecedented opportunity to transform the United States military.…”

“I support this bill, but believe we have missed an unprecedented opportunity to transform the United States military. The attacks of September 11 and the threat of anthrax across the country have shown that threats to U.S. security no longer come just from tanks and bombs. The war in Afghanistan demonstrates that the military increasingly relies on information superiority, long-range power projection, stealth technology, and precision-guided munitions. It is time to invest more in a defense for the 21st century, and to move away from unneeded bureaucracy and outmoded platforms. We must transform our military into a more flexible, multi-functional force. We need technologies for intelligence gathering, more robust use of uninhabited vehicles and long-range platforms. President Bush promised in his campaign to skip ahead to the next generation of military technology. Where is the transformation? The Quadrennial Defense Review talked grandly about progress but put its money into funding the status quo. It was as true before September 11 as it is now that enemies will use asymmetric means to exploit American vulnerabilities and use terror to inflict both psychological and physical damage. Our defense must reflect the revolution in military affairs--in weapons systems, in bureaucratic organization, and in military infrastructure. We must improve the ``tooth-to-tail'' ratio of fighting capability to support structure.”