Trump Digest: How the New President's Decisions Will Affect Our Military Life

Trump Digest A comprehensive list of what President-elect Trump’s views are on foreign policy, military readiness and veterans affairs Within the swirl of post-election discourse, one question seems to come up again and again: What does this mean for me? In particular, military members and their families are wondering how President-elect Donald J. Trump’s proposals will impact their lives. The National Military Family Association even wrote an open letter to Trump, asking him to protect defense funding and to remember that going to war affects more than the service members; it affects the 2.9 million military family members, too. While the true test will begin on Inauguration Day (January 20th, 2017) Trump has specified his plans through numerous channels during the past several months. For your information, we’ve digested his proposals that affect the military into three major areas: foreign policy, military readiness, and veterans affairs. Foreign Policy An overriding theme in the President-elect’s foreign policy is a commitment to change and a bolstering of strength. According to an April speech, Trump outlines his foreign policy with five major components. First, Trump promises to boost the American economy, bringing currently outsourced jobs back to America. This will “give us the resources we need to rebuild our military and regain our financial independence and strength,” he said.

Second, Trump states our allies should pay their fair share for the security our military provides. He points to NATO, insisting that all 28 member countries should pay the minimum 2 percent of GDP as stated by official NATO guidelines. Trump says “the whole world will be safer” if all countries financially support our “common defense and security.”

Third, Trump plans to improve America’s international relationships, indicating that he will strengthen our ties to Israel and draw a firmer line when international security is in peril.

Fourth , he will work to prevent other nations from taking advantage of America. Citing cyber-attacks and what he believes are examples of disrespect, Trump vows to regain international regard.

Finally, Trump wishes to establish a coherent, well-planned foreign policy that will combine military strength with ideological warfare.

The President-elect vows to cease nation-building and instead focus on “creating stability in the world.” In an August speech, he elaborated on the subject, stating he will work hand-in-hand with our NATO and Middle East allies to “crush and destroy ISIS” with military force. Additionally, he says he will fight against Radical Islamic propaganda, speaking out “forcefully against a hateful ideology that provides the breeding ground for violence and terrorism to grow.” Plus, his administration will support and give voice to “all moderate Muslim reformers.” Trump promises to contain threats to our nation by reforming immigration. He says his immigration policy will allow only those who support our Constitution and share American values into the country. This means a temporary immigration suspension might be placed on certain volatile regions where the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security determine “adequate screening cannot take place.” Military Readiness President-elect Trump’s stance on military readiness echoes the assessment of the Heritage Foundation’s 2017 Index of U.S. Military Strength. The report concluded that, under current conditions of “capability, capacity and readiness,” America’s military is “only marginally able to meet the demands of defending America’s vital national interests.” Trump’s proposal, according to his speech on military readiness, first calls for the defense sequester to be eliminated and a new budget established to rebuild the military. Under the new budget, Trump asks for equipment and personnel to be expanded in the following ways: Increase Army to 540,000 soldiers. Increase Marine Corps to 36 battalions. Increase Navy ships and submarines to 350 vessels. Increase Air Force fighter aircraft to 1,200 planes. Modernize and improve America’s ballistic missile defense power. Additionally, Trump plans to strengthen America’s cybersecurity, establishing a robust system to protect America from cyber attacks, to assist military personnel in fighting our foes and to thwart our enemies’ attempts to spread harmful ideology and garner international support. As he explained in an October speech, Trump plans to ask for a complete review of our cyber defenses and to “strengthen and augment” the capabilities of Cyber Command. Further, all established systems will require regular reviews to ensure they are constantly secure and state-of-the-art. Trump believes this will provide effective defensive and offensive cyber capabilities. Such an enormous expansion will be expensive, and American Enterprise Institute predicts the foundation of Trump’s plan to cost $55 to $60 billion per year for four years, on top of the four-year plan already set by President Obama. AEI further estimates that “adding in crucial smaller programs, accounting for weapons cost and growth, and returning the entire force to adequate readiness” will push the cost $250 to $300 billion more over the same four years. To fund such expansion, Trump calls for reforms that will do away with government waste, shrink the size of the federal workforce in a responsible way, reduce government bureaucracy, collect unpaid taxes and require payments from countries whose security we provide. At the time this article was written, there was no indication as to how this buildup would affect military members’ paychecks. Veterans Affairs President-elect Trump plans to overhaul the Department of Veterans Affairs in a way that he says will eliminate red tape and corruption and replace it with quality care. Trump proposes a 10-point plan: Appoint a Secretary of Veterans Affairs who will focus on serving the veteran and restoring integrity to the system. Fire and discipline VA employees who fail to perform satisfactorily. Ask Congress to pass legislation that will empower the Secretary of the VA to fire and discipline any employee who compromises the well-being of veterans. Commission an investigation into VA fraud and use the findings to encourage Congress to reform VA legislation. Promote and protect the VA employees who demonstrate honest work. Establish a private, 24-hour White House hotline to receive complaints or reports of wrongdoing at the VA. Trump promises to handle personally any issues left unsolved. Give bonuses only to people who improve VA service. Reform services to ensure veterans are “at the front of the line for health services, not the back.” Increase the number of mental health workers within the VA and allow veterans to seek mental health care outside the VA. Allow veterans to choose private health care providers if they wish. Trump’s vision for reform includes increased funding for mental health care, providing more counseling and improving research and treatment. This will enable the VA to address current needs for PTSD, traumatic brain injuries and suicide prevention. Additionally, Trump aims to improve health care for female veterans, ensuring that every VA hospital is staffed with OBGYN services. Some of Trump’s plans align with the recommendations of the report issued by the Commission on Care, a 15-member group formed by Congress to examine deficiencies in the VA. These improvements will modernize the VA and empower veterans, which means, Trump says, that veterans will come first. At the time this article was written, cabinet positions were being filled, and Trump had stated his intent to put plans into action swiftly. Although military members and their families can only speculate how Trump’s plans will affect them, the President-elect has indicated that answers and change will come within the first 30 to 100 days of his term. [maxbutton id="13"] Connect with us on Facebook!

Trump Digest: How the New President’s Decisions Will Affect Our Military Life

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