There are many tough tasks ahead for the 47th President of the United States. Military readiness will be at the top of the list. The report of the Commission on the National Defense Strategy, ordered by Congress, was released this week, and the news isn't good. The analysis is that the last time the United States was prepared for a global military conflict was during the Cold War, 35 years ago.
According to the Commission the Department of Defense's business practices are "archaic" and "risk-averse." Its research and development and procurement process is "byzantine." The industrial base is insufficient with regard to supply chain, workforce, and production capacity. Weapons systems are decades old. Military personnel are "stretched to the breaking point."
I have noted before in this column that never before in my lifetime has the world been this frightening. China is very close to being able to take Taiwan unimpeded, which would have a $5 trillion impact on the United States. Russia, if successful in Ukraine, will certainly absorb Moldova and turn its eye to the Baltic States. In addition to increased military presence in Asia, the U.S. must forward deploy forces to Europe again.
China and Russia have had a "no-limits" partnership since 2022, and Iran and North Korea also cooperate with this America-hostile alliance. Indo-Pacific partnerships such as those being fostered this week with the Philippines, and AUKUS (Australia-UK-US), as well long-standing ties with Israel and NATO are key examples of the global relationships we need to counter this threat.
Additionally, there are many emerging nations and regions of influence whose cooperation should be solidified: India, Southwest Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Not only are they important geographically, but they are also important when it comes to strategic raw materials.
I came into the military after the Cold War and have worked in the defense industry since leaving active service. The post-Cold War defense industry is a story of vertical integration and shareholder accountability. It is not a story of innovation, timely delivery, or customer cost control. Because there are so few manufacturers of core platforms such as ships, vehicles and aircraft, they exert maximum leverage over the client.
It's an old but telling story that 17 years ago the Chinese hacked a Lockheed Martin contractor and obtained crucial software data from the F-35 program. China used this stolen information to field the J-31 fighter plane in 2012. The F-35 did not enter active service until 2015. It's unclear whether Lockheed Martin faced any adverse consequences due to this breach; it remains the prime contractor for the program today. Could Lockheed Martin keep the contract if this happened in the private sector?
There is a shortage of workers in key trades and tech areas. The submarine industry is on a crusade to hire 100,000 new workers in the next three years. That's in peacetime. Imagine a wartime mobilization. Could we do it? Do our workers have the skills?
The section in the report on military readiness was interesting for what it didn't cover. There were a lot of numbers. The report noted that recruiting numbers were down, and that only 23% of American high school graduates qualified for military services. The report went on to note that retention – the number of people who stay in the military is high.
But here is not what is said in the report. We treat our military terribly. Barracks, housing, and berthing (the nomenclature changes depending on which branch of service you're in) are horribly substandard. The Army reported 2,100 buildings, including barracks, infested with black mold in 2022. The biggest problem involves troops deploying for months, returning to their barracks room and discovering their personal belongings ruined by mold.
In December, 2023, the Marine Corps reported 49% of its barracks tainted by mold or water. The Air Force has been remediating mold in family housing since 2019.
In a three-year period from 2019-2022 seven Sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier USS George Washington committed suicide while that ship underwent a refueling overhaul in drydock. A total of nine Sailors would take their lives during the six-year overhaul, extended by unforeseen conditions created by the COVID pandemic. Living conditions for Sailors onboard ship included no hot water, 24-hour construction noise, and regular power outages.
No one should live like this when not in a deployed status. This is unconscionable. Unhealthy living conditions when you are preparing for war make you particularly unready should war occur.
Speaking of the health of our troops, a glaring gap in military personnel readiness is the elimination by Congress of the Covid vaccine mandate. Troops should get vaccines. Period. Yellow fever, malaria, whatever is endemic to where they are. Unvaccinated troops are a health risk to their unit and a liability to their comrades. This isn't a political issue about the virus or individual vaccine choice. This is a vulnerability issue. If troops suddenly are able to choose what vaccine they want and don't want, the likelihood of biological attack becomes much more real.
The report has a number of recommendations, all of which cost money. This is a particular challenge as Congress and the White House have made continually poor choices for the last decade or so about the nation's budget. The report recommends removing spending caps and increasing spending three to five percent each year to accelerate weapon development and innovation.
We have been pouring money into the Department of Defense for the last three and a half decades and we have a hacked aircraft platform (delivered late), a massive submarine workforce shortage, and thousands of moldy barracks to show for it, for starters. Perhaps instead of more funding, someone needs to pay attention to where the funding is going. Even the attempt to audit the Defense Department has morphed into a jobs program without result.
The Commission on the National Defense Strategy delivered a report in 2018 that offered similar warnings. Perhaps Congress needs to stop delivering reports on the Department of Defense strategy and form a commission on Department of Defense accountability.
Merritt Hamilton Allen is a PR executive and former Navy officer. She appeared regularly as a panelist on NM PBS and is a frequent guest on News Radio KKOB. A Republican, she lives amicably with her Democratic husband north of I-40 where they run one head of dog, and two of cat. She can be reached at
