Assessing the readiness of the U.S. military
Past Event
Defense experts are in the midst of a spirited debate over whether the U.S. military faces a readiness crisis. Pointing to recent deadly military aviation crashes and worrying data on training and equipment, some argue that seven years of sequestration under the 2011 Budget Control Act impaired the armed forces’ ability to execute their mission even as the United States’ involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan has let up. Others contend that the readiness crisis is overblown, and that the armed forces’ more serious challenge is ensuring, through modernization and innovation, that foreign competitors do not overtake U.S. capabilities. With defense spending increased to $716 billion under the 2018 John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act, the parameters of the readiness debate are set to shift.
On November 2, Brookings convened a panel of experts to discuss the current readiness of the U.S. military. Following their conversation, panelists took audience questions.
Agenda
Panel
Michael E. O’Hanlon
Director of Research - Foreign Policy
Director - Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology
Co-Director - Africa Security Initiative
Senior Fellow - Foreign Policy, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology
Philip H. Knight Chair in Defense and Strategy
Brendan R. Stickles
Federal Executive Fellow - Foreign Policy, The Brookings Institution
Commander - U.S. Navy
Amy Ebitz
Federal Executive Fellow - The Brookings Institution
Colonel - United States Marine Corps
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