This week we honor the brave men and women of our military who have served our nation, and we salute their courage and sacrifice to ensure our freedom. We also reflect on our nation’s security and how we best protect ourselves and our interests in a volatile world.
I served in the military in various zones of conflict. One of the chief lessons I learned is that our military strength alone isn’t enough to achieve America’s strategic objectives. What it takes is a “smart power” approach with our diplomatic and development efforts alongside a strong defense to see conflicts to a successful conclusion. More importantly, we must prevent these contingencies from occurring in the first place. Preventing the next Afghanistan or Iraq is one of the greatest tributes we can pay to those who have sacrificed so much on our behalf.
Our non-military tools of national power and international influence will become increasingly more important in the years ahead. The United States faces a more diverse array of threats and potential adversaries from rising powers and rogue nations to terrorist and militia groups that thrive in environments of deprivation and stunted development. Desperate conditions can lead to crises, conflicts, and threats that eventually may reach our shores or require U.S. military intervention, which is costly in terms of money but, more importantly, in lives.
International development and diplomacy programs represent one of the most cost-effective means our nation has to confront the threats we face today. Recently-retired Marine Corps General James Mattis, who formerly commanded all U.S. forces in the Middle East and Central Asia, said it best earlier this year when he told our colleagues in the Senate that, “If you don’t fund the State Department fully, then I need to buy more ammunition.”
Our military leaders understand that in addition to maintaining a strong military, America’s security and prosperity also depend on sustaining modest yet impactful investments to address complex threats in the most dangerous corners of the world – from global pandemics and infectious disease, to natural disasters and sectarian strife.
If armed intervention cannot be avoided, civilian capabilities are indispensable to the success of the military mission. In fact, when U.S. commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan were asked what they needed most to be successful in their areas of responsibility, the answer most often wasn’t troops or weapons, but more civilian experts – or even just one – in agriculture, sanitation or local governance. Too often, these resources were unavailable because the U.S. State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development weren’t sufficiently funded, staffed or organized to play this critical role.
As a Member of Congress concerned about the lives and livelihoods of our constituents, I also understand the strong relationship between America’s engagement in the world and our own economic growth. Effective development and diplomatic programs funded by the International Affairs Budget spur U.S. economic growth by opening up emerging markets for our exports. Already, developing countries in Africa and Asia are the destination of more than half of U.S. exports, and these emerging markets will continue to fuel America’s export growth.
Building more peaceful, prosperous societies not only makes us more stable, it also opens up markets for American goods and services. Helping others is an important American value, demonstrating the best of who we are as a nation.
Most Americans are surprised to learn that the total International Affairs Budget of the United States, which funds our development and diplomatic operations, is just over 1 percent of all federal spending. Yet that relatively small investment provides a significant and irreplaceable return when it comes to defending the interests and security of the American people.
So this week especially, let us honor past and present veterans by ensuring we use all of our national security tools – military, as well as development and diplomacy – to help keep us safe and secure. We owe it to the next generation of veterans.
Scott Perry is a Republican representing the 4th District of Pennsylvania. He is a veteran of the Iraq War and a member of the Army National Guard.