Deputy Secretary of Defense Discusses Wartime Spending and Outlook

There was a theme of “hope” at the Institute of Politics Tuesday night, as United States Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter detailed a plan for how the United States can make the transition from a war-burdened economy to one that fosters peace and international cohesion.

Carter began the forum by briefly addressing the recent Boston Marathon bombings and the sense of loss yet hope that resulted through community support.

“If there is anything good about being in a war for 10 years is that we know a great deal,” Carter said.

In his talk, Carter addressed the steps the United State would have to take to “turn a corner from that era dominated by [the wars in] Iraq and Afghanistan, towards the challenges and opportunities that will define the future of our security.”

Carter advocated cutting wartime spending by slimming down the military while keeping and redistributing the technology and resources acquired over the course of the two recent wars.

“We only deserve the amount of money that we need and not the amount of money that we’ve gotten used to,” Carter said.

To curb defense spending, Carter brought up the war in Afghanistan, where the end goal of American involvement was simply to maintain security, he said.

“[The goal is] not to end it, but to wind that war down,” Carter said.

Carter noted that President Obama has requested that the American military make the transition from a large, rotational, counter-insurgency force to a leaner, more flexible, and utility-based force.

The final step in Carter’s plan is to shifts its budgetary and strategic outlook to the Asia Pacific region.

Through winding down current wars, concentrating the military, and reclaiming many of the resources and capital used in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. Department of Defense can regroup and reallocate those supplies to the Asian Pacific for defense, humanitarian efforts, and disaster relief. Carter said he believes that American presence and post-war rebalancing in Asia will be welcomed by most countries, including China.

Will Shih ’16, who attended the event, said that Carter’s plan to pivot towards the nation’s relationships with Asian countries was “the best.”

“He said the most important stuff when he was talking about setting new priorities and moving forward in the future,” Shih said.