The drawdown in Afghanistan is highlighting the challenges of security assistance the United States provides around the world. One proposal is to consolidate those programs the Defense Department shares with the State Department into a single program at Foggy Bottom. That plan, though, would be a “big mistake,” according to Brent Sadler, senior fellow for naval warfare and advanced technology at The Heritage Foundation and retired Navy Foreign Area Officer and captain.
- Sadler said the proposal to move everything to the State Department may lead to a divergence from military security objectives.
- Sadler said America is not getting enough out of its billions of dollars of yearly spending on security cooperation and assistance programs because programs sometimes use success markers that do not correspond with the original intent.
- Overarching strategies and guidance from the top are important for empowering collaboration across State, the Defense Department, USAID and military services, said Sadler.
