The State of the Military Today

The next President will inherit the role of commander in chief of a military that boasts unmatched power and capability. However, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have stretched that military thin. On June 29, the Opportunity 08 project at the Brookings Institution, in conjunction with Brookings 21st Century Defense Initiative, examined the state of the United States military today and the challenges it faces for the future.

Participants included Michael O’Hanlon, a senior fellow in Foreign Policy Studies and director of Opportunity 08; Brookings Senior Fellow and Director of the 21st Century Defense Initiative, Peter Singer; Brookings Senior Fellow and former Bush Administration Assistant Secretary of Defense Peter Rodman; and Retired Lieutenant U.S. General Dan Christman.

Martha Raddatz, ABC news chief and White House correspondent, moderated the discussion which examined the war in Iraq and beyond, the threats of modern day warfare and how our next President should proceed to ensure that troops remain strong and proficient. As well as how the current administration should do in its remaining 18 months in office.

Opportunity 08 aims to help presidential candidates and the public focus on critical issues facing the nation, providing ideas, policy forums, and information on a broad range of domestic and foreign policy questions.