Defense Drumbeat

By Chirman Mac Thornberry
Excerpts Below - Full Piece Here in RealClearDefense

"Khizr Khan’s remarks about his son’s service in Iraq at the Democrat National Convention last month have provoked a national conversation about military service, sacrifice, and what it will take to keep America safe in the years ahead.

There is never enough honor we can show to the families of those whose loved ones have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Military service should be above politics...

Yet, beyond the ugly rhetoric of this presidential campaign is another deeply disturbing issue that voters should consider: whether the men and women who wear our nation’s uniform are fully trained and fully supported for the missions they are assigned...

This state of affairs is the result of political decisions made by both parties in Washington and exacerbates one of the primary legacies the Obama Administration leaves the nation - a more dangerous world.

A third term of Obama policies, coupled with the continued reduction in American military strength, would encourage aggressors around the world, while discouraging those who value peace and freedom. That is no way to honor the sacrifice of Captain Khan, his family, or any of the other brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

House Republicans have offered some real, substantive solutions to these issues. As part of our “A Better Way” project, we have presented dozens of specific proposals with a focus of keeping America strong and engaged...

“A Better Way” on national security includes proposals on border security and immigration, as well as intelligence and information sharing. But the heart of American national security is the U.S. military, and our plan would focus on the men and women who serve to ensure that whatever mission they are called upon to carry out, they will be fully trained, fully ready, and fully supported...

Going forward, we must have a global strategy to defeat terrorist groups, as our “Better Way” proposals call for. The Obama approach has been to do the minimum necessary rather than to win...

We also call for a strengthening of our alliances. The U.S. cannot afford to go it alone; we need friends...

From cyber to the spread of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, the civilized world faces formidable security challenges. U.S. leadership is required to meet them, and “A Better Way” offers a blueprint that would serve both parties and the nation well to follow. But more fundamentally, each of those serving and their families must know they and their loved ones are honored and supported above and beyond the politics of the moment."