Published in CNN Opinion on December 12, 2012.
Click here to read the piece in CNN Opinion.
By Lt. General (ret. USA) Robert G. Gard Jr. PhD and Brig. General (ret. USA) John Johns, PhD.
A strong U.S. military is indispensable to our national security. As retired military officers, we have dedicated our careers, on active duty and retired, to that end. We have been involved in crafting and teaching national security strategy, of which military strategy and use of military force are vital components.
In the debate over the Pentagon budget and with threats of deeper cuts coming, the president, Congress, governors and the entire defense community are rightly concerned about sequestration, which cuts both domestic and defense spending indiscriminately. It is agreed that overall spending reductions are necessary, but the “fiscal cliff” crisis reflects a lack of political will, not rational planning.
