Despite defense spending reaching a historic high, the Department of Defense is getting lower return on its investments today than in the past. Moreover, an outdated acquisition system, high overhead, and rising personnel costs are driving down the size of the American military. In light of China’s surging economic and military power, the Pentagon faces difficult decisions to transform its bureaucratic processes or trail behind. How can the Department of Defense adapt its spending practices to meet today’s most pressing security challenges? This discussion will feature former US National Security Advisor Gen James L. Jones, USMC (Ret.) and Chair of the National Defense Industrial Association MajGen Arnold Punaro,USMC (Ret.), whose recent book titled “The Ever-Shrinking Fighting Force” argues that the Pentagon can grow its warfighting capacity through improving its non-warfighting elements.
General Jones and General Punaro will join us in conversation with the Washington Post Staff Writer and Pentagon Correspondent Missy Ryan to discuss how the United States can effectively respond to an evolving set of security challenges.