A
striking bipartisan consensus exists today across the think tank community on
the need for Pentagon and Congressional leaders to address the growing
imbalances within the defense budget that threaten the health and long-term
viability of America’s volunteer military.
It
is our shared belief that the Department of Defense urgently needs to close
excess bases and facilities, reexamine the size and structure of the DoD
civilian workforce, and reform military compensation. While we do not all agree
on the best approach to reform in each case, we agree that if these issues are
not addressed, they will gradually consume the defense budget from within. This
will leave a smaller share of the budget to pay for the manning, training and
equipping of our armed forces that make the U.S. military second to none.
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