Feb 23: The Pentagon's Expanding Footprint

Prevent War: The Pentagon's Expanding Footprint

Quote of the week: "You've heard us, some of us and certainly me, talk about our foreign policy being too militarized. I believe that. And it's got to change."

~ Adm. Mike Mullen, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Topics in this message:

  1. New Pentagon Directive Undermines Civilian Peacebuilding
  2. Action: Urge Congress to Request Review of New Pentagon Directive
  3. Prevention Success Stories: U.N. Peacebuilding Commission
  4. Additional Resources
  5. FCNL in the News

1. New Pentagon Directive Undermines Civilian Peacebuilding

Last summer - thanks to your lobbying - we celebrated congressional authorization and $55 million in funding to create a civilian response corps led by the State Department. This new civilian tool was designed to provide assistance to prevent state collapse and rebuild war torn countries. Now the Pentagon appears poised to undermine that important success for civilian peacebuilding.

Despite calls by senior military officials to create the civilian corps under the State Department, the Pentagon has announced it will form its own deployable corps. Defense Department Directive 1404.10, signed by Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England on January 23 (just three days into the new administration), directs the Pentagon to begin organizing, training, and equipping an "expeditionary workforce" of civilian volunteers to support humanitarian, reconstruction, and combat support missions.

FCNL believes that establishing a deployable Pentagon corps further militarizes U.S. engagement with the world and will make it harder for the State Department and USAID to receive funding and support for building the civilian capacities the United States so urgently needs. We have urged key congressional offices to speak out about the Pentagon's continued encroachment into civilian tasks. Please write your own letter to your members of Congress today.

2. Action: Urge Congress to Request Review of New Pentagon Directive

Urge your members of Congress to request a review of the Pentagon's new policy. Tell them you fear this policy directly undermines efforts by the State Department and USAID to enhance civilian capacity for relief, development, and reconstruction operations.

3. Prevention Success Stories: U.N. Peacebuilding Commission

Last week Susan Rice, U.S. Ambassador the United Nations, applauded the peacebuilding progress made in Sierra Leone. Critical to Sierra Leone's ability to consolidate peace and prevent a relapse into war has been the presence of the U.N. Peacebuilding office. FCNL has raised the profile of the Peacebuilding Commission among congressional staffers and urges increased U.S. funding for U.N. peacebuilding efforts. Read more.

4. Additional Resources

Defense Department Establishes Civilian Expeditionary Workforce (Small Wars Journal)

State Department Recruits for Civilian Response Corps (Government Executive)

FCNL Letter to President Obama on Afghanistan

5. FCNL in the News

A Feel Good Victory: Nuclear Pork Is No Longer on the Menu (Huffington Post)

New Bid to Ban Indiscriminate Weapons (Inter Press Service)