Issue Position: Nation Security

Issue Position

As a 20 year Marine Corps Officer, Marcus knows a strong defense and a strong economy are essential for national security.

Many national leaders will say that since Arkansas' 4th District does not have a large defense industry it is easy for its representative to oppose defense spending in other districts. That is nonsense. Arkansas 4th Congressional Districts provides the most valuable and sacred part of our national defense and that is the men and women, sons and daughters who serve in our armed forces. It is these brave service members who are the Tip of America's Spear and they must be the focus of every defense dollar allocated by congress.

Despite fighting two wars, many of our national leaders are now seeking to solve our deficit problems by crippling national defense. The easiest target for their deficit knives is personnel cuts and reduced research and development for individual weapons and protective equipment. What will not be touched are the big ticket items built in the career politicians' districts. Cutting manpower is always the first choice because, despite its high impact on defense capabilities, it has a low impact on politician's careers.

A service member spends 20 years on active duty and can retire with fifty percent of his base pay immediately payable. A congressman can spend 5 years as an elected official and be vested in his or her retirement system. A service member risks life and limb in the service of his country. A politician's risk is limited to losing a future election if he fails to pander to special interests. Yet, cutting military retirement is always the first option presented to lawmakers. This is not the first time that attempts have been made to alter military retirement. In the 1980′s, military retirement was altered and had to be changed back, due to the adverse affect it had on retention and readiness. Career politicians need to lead by example and cut their own retirement first and leave military retirement alone. The men and women of the armed forces have earned this small benefit.

Present and future threats must be reviewed and our limited defense dollars must be allocated to meet these threats. China's emerging power projection capability, which by the way is paid for by the interest money from our debt, cannot be ignored, any more than the threat of one terrorist with a weapon of mass destruction. Defense dollars must be spent in ways that address present and future threats, because we no longer have the luxury of spending our limited resources according to the desires of the career politician.

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