The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
January 05, 2012
Remarks by the President on the Defense Strategic Review
The Pentagon
11:00 A.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody. The United States of America
is the greatest force for freedom and security that the world has ever
known. And in no small measure, that’s because we’ve built the
best-trained, best-led, best-equipped military in history -- and as
Commander-in-Chief, I’m going to keep it that way.
Indeed, all of us on this stage -- every single one of us -- have a
profound responsibility to every soldier, sailor, airman, Marine and
Coast Guardsman who puts their life on the line for America. We owe
them a strategy with well-defined goals; to only send them into harm’s
way when it’s absolutely necessary; to give them the equipment and the
support that they need to get the job done; and to care for them and
their families when they come home. That is our solemn obligation.
And over the past three years, that’s what we’ve done. We’ve continued
to make historic investments in our military -- our troops and their
capabilities, our military families and our veterans. And thanks to
their extraordinary service, we’ve ended our war in Iraq. We’ve
decimated al Qaeda’s leadership. We’ve delivered justice to Osama bin
Laden, and we’ve put that terrorist network on the path to defeat.
We’ve made important progress in Afghanistan, and we’ve begun to
transition so Afghans can assume more responsibility for their own
security. We joined allies and partners to protect the Libyan people as
they ended the regime of Muammar Qaddafi.
Now we’re turning the page on a decade of war. Three years ago, we had
some 180,000 troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, we’ve cut that
number in half. And as the transition in Afghanistan continues, more of
our troops will continue to come home. More broadly, around the globe
we’ve strengthened alliances, forged new partnerships, and served as a
force for universal rights and human dignity.
In short, we’ve succeeded in defending our nation, taking the fight to
our enemies, reducing the number of Americans in harm’s way, and we’ve
restored America’s global leadership. That makes us safer and it makes
us stronger. And that’s an achievement that every American --
especially those Americans who are proud to wear the uniform of the
United States Armed Forces -- should take great pride in.
This success has brought our nation, once more, to a moment of
transition. Even as our troops continue to fight in Afghanistan, the
tide of war is receding. Even as our forces prevail in today’s
missions, we have the opportunity -- and the responsibility -- to look
ahead to the force that we are going to need in the future.
At the same time, we have to renew our economic strength here at home,
which is the foundation of our strength around the world. And that
includes putting our fiscal house in order. To that end, the Budget
Control Act passed by Congress last year -- with the support of
Republicans and Democrats alike -- mandates reductions in federal
spending, including defense spending. I’ve insisted that we do that
responsibly. The security of our nation and the lives of our men and
women in uniform depend on it.
That’s why I called for this comprehensive defense review -- to clarify
our strategic interests in a fast-changing world, and to guide our
defense priorities and spending over the coming decade -- because the
size and the structure of our military and defense budgets have to be
driven by a strategy, not the other way around. Moreover, we have to
remember the lessons of history. We can’t afford to repeat the mistakes
that have been made in the past -- after World War II, after Vietnam --
when our military was left ill prepared for the future. As Commander
in Chief, I will not let that happen again. Not on my watch.
We need a start -- we need a smart, strategic set of priorities. The
new guidance that the Defense Department is releasing today does just
that. I want to thank Secretary Panetta and General Dempsey for their
extraordinary leadership during this process. I want to thank the
service secretaries and chiefs, the combatant commanders and so many
defense leaders -- military and civilian, active, Guard and reserve --
for their contributions. Many of us met repeatedly -- asking tough
questions, challenging our own assumptions and making hard choices. And
we’ve come together today around an approach that will keep our nation
safe and our military the finest that the world have ever known.
This review also benefits from the contributions of leaders from across
my national security team -- from the departments of State, Homeland
Security and Veterans Affairs, as well as the intelligence community.
And this is critical, because meeting the challenges of our time cannot
be the work of our military alone -- or the United States alone. It
requires all elements of our national power, working together in concert
with our allies and our partners.
So I’m going to let Leon and Marty go into the details. But I just
want to say that this effort reflects the guidance that I personally
gave throughout this process. Yes, the tide of war is receding. But
the question that this strategy answers is what kind of military will we
need long after the wars of the last decade are over. And today, we’re
fortunate to be moving forward from a position of strength.
As I made clear in Australia, we will be strengthening our presence in
the Asia Pacific, and budget reductions will not come at the expense of
that critical region. We’re going to continue investing in our critical
partnerships and alliances, including NATO, which has demonstrated time
and again -- most recently in Libya -- that it’s a force multiplier.
We will stay vigilant, especially in the Middle East.
As we look beyond the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan -- and the end of
long-term nation-building with large military footprints -- we’ll be
able to ensure our security with smaller conventional ground forces.
We’ll continue to get rid of outdated Cold War-era systems so that we
can invest in the capabilities that we need for the future, including
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, counterterrorism,
countering weapons of mass destruction and the ability to operate in
environments where adversaries try to deny us access.
So, yes, our military will be leaner, but the world must know the
United States is going to maintain our military superiority with armed
forces that are agile, flexible and ready for the full range of
contingencies and threats.
We’re also going to keep faith with those who serve, by making sure our
troops have the equipment and capabilities they need to succeed, and by
prioritizing efforts that focus on wounded warriors, mental health and
the well-being of our military families. And as our newest veterans
rejoin civilian life, we’ll keep working to give our veterans the care,
the benefits and job opportunities that they deserve and that they have
earned.
Finally, although today is about our defense strategy, I want to close
with a word about the defense budget that will flow from this strategy.
The details will be announced in the coming weeks. Some will no doubt
say that the spending reductions are too big; others will say that
they’re too small. It will be easy to take issue with a particular
change in a particular program. But I’d encourage all of us to remember
what President Eisenhower once said -- that “each proposal must be
weighed in the light of a broader consideration: the need to maintain
balance in and among national programs.” After a decade of war, and as
we rebuild the source of our strength -- at home and abroad -- it’s time
to restore that balance.
I think it’s important for all Americans to remember, over the past 10
years, since 9/11, our defense budget grew at an extraordinary pace.
Over the next 10 years, the growth in the defense budget will slow, but
the fact of the matter is this: It will still grow, because we have
global responsibilities that demand our leadership. In fact, the
defense budget will still be larger than it was toward the end of the
Bush administration. And I firmly believe, and I think the American
people understand, that we can keep our military strong and our nation
secure with a defense budget that continues to be larger than roughly
the next 10 countries combined.
So again, I want to thank Secretary Panetta, Chairman Dempsey, all the
defense leaders who are on this stage, and some who are absent, for
their leadership and their partnership throughout this process. Our men
and women in uniform give their very best to America every single day,
and in return they deserve the very best from America. And I thank all
of you for the commitment to the goal that we all share: keeping
America strong and secure in the 21st century, and keeping our Armed
Forces the very best in the world.
And with that, I will turn this discussion over to Leon and to Marty, who can explain more and take your questions.
So thank you very much. I understand this is the first time a President has done this. It’s a pretty nice room. (Laughter.)
Thank you guys.
END
11:12 A.M. EST
