Dan Coats: “America's preeminence in the world is accompanied by the opportunity and burden of leadership to shape the international…”

“America's preeminence in the world is accompanied by the opportunity and burden of leadership to shape the international community. I have been somewhat perplexed that our concerns with national defense are often no broader than the level of defense spending, which we generally debate only during the annual authorization and appropriation cycles. It is incumbent that we consider the scope of the demands and expectations placed on our military in support of America's role in shaping the work today, and through the next century. Included are the fundamental issues of our national security interests, the nature of future conflicts, and the most appropriate military strategy for which the Department of Defense should develop its military capabilities. These considerations must be made deliberately, not by default. Failing to do so will lead the United States to react, rather than control, events in the next century. The actions we take on the defense authorization bill will fundamentally influence our national security strategy and force structure well into the next century. Properly done, these decisions will be a powerful investment in the future. Unfortunately, there is widespread consensus--both in and out of the Pentagon--that the administration's 1993 Bottom Up Review strategy is not the strategy America needs to guide its military into the 21st century.…”