Military spending essential to keeping country safe

To the editor,

I think it’s great that we honor those who have served and are serving in our military on Veteran’s Day each year. As a 25 year Air Force vet, I appreciate the recognition for all the men and women who either volunteered or were conscripted into service and gave their time, and sometimes their lives to protect our nation and the freedoms we enjoy. I do find it odd however that many of those who enjoy our ever-evolving freedoms clamor for deeper cuts to military spending. To be sure, there are plenty of opportunities for better spending choices. However, many of the poor military spending decisions originated in Washington, D.C. and were the result of partisan political interests and a desire to “bring home the bacon” by way of congressional earmarks. Having been involved in budgeting and spending proposals both here in Alaska and around the world, and can attest to the very serious consideration given to every dollar spend at a local level once the political shenanigans were completed.

Among the many outcomes of budget cuts over the years, vital training has been seriously curtailed and we ended up with troops inadequately prepared to do their jobs. Reduced training opportunities may not seem like a big deal, but when our military is subsequently placed in harms way, it can and does cost lives. Over the past 30 years our force strength has been whittled down by over 60 percent, and the effort continues to further reduce those numbers. Compare that to military spending in Russia, which has more than quadrupled since 1998 (Source: SIPRE Military Expenditure Database).

I am not a proponent of war, but our nation must be prepared to defend itself. I am reminded of the isolationist view of many in America after World War I and the reluctance to assist our allies prior to World War II. We were totally unprepared when Pearl Harbor was attacked and were left wondering how such a thing could happen. Fast forward to 9/11 and people were wondering again how this could have occurred. We live in a violent world that includes people and nations that do not want or appreciate democracy and will do anything they can to harm us.

So, each Veteran’s Day, let’s continue to remember all who have served or are serving our nation. At the same time, let’s not forget why they are serving.

John Warner

Wasilla