High-level national security letter comes as reports suggest Administration’s budget proposal could cut State Department by 30%

WASHINGTON – More than 120 retired three and four-star generals just sent a letter to the House and Senate leadership calling on Congress to “ensure that resources for the International Affairs Budget keep pace with the growing global threats and opportunities we face.”

The letter comes amid reports that the State Department could see a cut of “as much as 30%” in the Administration’s budget outline to Congress.

Download the letter. Full text is below.

Statement from Liz Schrayer, President and CEO, USGLC:
“The reported budget proposal to strip America’s civilian forces back to 9/11 funding levels is unfathomable given today’s global threats from ISIS to pandemics like Ebola. As these battle-tested military leaders have asserted, the State Department and USAID are critical frontline defenses to prevent conflict and advance our national security interests. If we’re going to put America First, we can’t tie the hands of our diplomats and development workers, fighting alongside our soldiers to keep our country safe.”

The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (www.usglc.org) is a broad-based influential network of 500 businesses and NGOs; national security and foreign policy experts; and business, faith-based, academic, military, and community leaders in all 50 states who support strategic investments to elevate development and diplomacy alongside defense in order to build a better, safer world.

Full letter text:
February 27, 2017

The Honorable Paul Ryan
Speaker of the House
U.S. House of Representatives

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Minority Leader
U.S. House of Representatives

The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Majority Leader
U.S. Senate

The Honorable Chuck Schumer
Minority Leader
U.S. Senate

Dear Speaker Ryan, Minority Leader Pelosi, Majority Leader McConnell, and Minority Leader Schumer:

As you and your colleagues address the federal budget for Fiscal Year 2018, we write as retired three and four star flag and general officers from all branches of the armed services to share our strong conviction that elevating and strengthening diplomacy and development alongside defense are critical to keeping America safe.

We know from our service in uniform that many of the crises our nation faces do not have military solutions alone – from confronting violent extremist groups like ISIS in the Middle East and North Africa to preventing pandemics like Ebola and stabilizing weak and fragile states that can lead to greater instability. There are 65 million displaced people today, the most since World War II, with consequences including refugee flows that are threatening America’s strategic allies in Israel, Jordan, Turkey, and Europe.

The State Department, USAID, Millennium Challenge Corporation, Peace Corps and other development agencies are critical to preventing conflict and reducing the need to put our men and women in uniform in harm’s way. As Secretary James Mattis said while Commander of U.S. Central Command, “If you don’t fully fund the State Department, then I need to buy more ammunition.” The military will lead the fight against terrorism on the battlefield, but it needs strong civilian partners in the battle against the drivers of extremism– lack of opportunity, insecurity, injustice, and hopelessness.

We recognize that America’s strategic investments in diplomacy and development – like all of U.S. investments – must be effective and accountable. Significant reforms have been undertaken since 9/11, many of which have been embodied in recent legislation in Congress with strong bipartisan support – on human trafficking, the rights of women and girls, trade and energy in Africa, wildlife trafficking, water, food security, and transparency and accountability.

We urge you to ensure that resources for the International Affairs Budget keep pace with the growing global threats and opportunities we face. Now is not the time to retreat.

cc: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
cc: Secretary of Defense James Mattis
cc: National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster

Sincerely,

1. General Keith B. Alexander, USA (Ret.)
Director, National Security Agency (’05-’14)
Commander, U.S. Cyber Command (’10-’14)

2. General John R. Allen, USMC (Ret.)
Commander, NATO International Security Force (’11-’13)
Commander, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan (’11-’13)

3. Lt. General Edward G. Anderson III, USA (Ret.)
Vice Commander, U.S. Element, North American Aerospace Defense Command/Deputy Commander, U.S. Northern Command (’02-’04)

4. Lt. General Thomas L. Baptiste, USAF (Ret.)
Deputy Chairman, NATO Military Committee (’04-’07)

5. Lt. General Ronald R. Blanck, USA (Ret.)
Surgeon General of the United States Army (’96-’00)

6. Lt. General H. Steven Blum, USA (Ret.)
Deputy Commander, U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command (’09-’10)

7. Lt. General Steven W. Boutelle, USA (Ret.)
Chief Information Officer and G6, United States Army (’03-’07)

8. Admiral Frank L. Bowman, USN (Ret.)
Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion (’96-’04)

9. General Charles G. Boyd, USAF (Ret.)
Deputy Commander in Chief, U.S. European Command (’92-’95)

10. General Bryan Doug Brown, USA (Ret.)
Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command (’03-’07)

11. General Arthur E. Brown, Jr., USA (Ret.)
Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army (’87-’89)

12. Vice Admiral Michael Bucchi, USN (Ret.)
Commander of the United States Third Fleet (’00-’03)

13. Lt. General John H. Campbell, USAF (Ret.)
Associate Director of Central Intelligence for Military Support, Central Intelligence Agency
(’00-’03)

14. General Bruce Carlson, USAF (Ret.)
Director, National Reconnaissance Office (’09-’12)

15. General George W. Casey, Jr., USA (Ret.)
Chief of Staff of the United States Army (’07-’11)

16. Lt. General John G. Castellaw, USMC (Ret.)
Deputy Commandant for Programs and Resources (’07-’08)

17. Lt. General Dennis D. Cavin, USA (Ret.)
Commander, U.S. Army Accessions Command (’02-’04)

18. General Peter W. Chiarelli, USA (Ret.)
Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Army (’08-’12)

19. Lt. General Daniel W. Christman, USA (Ret.)
Superintendent, United States Military Academy (’96-’01)

20. Lt. General George R. Christmas, USMC (Ret.)
Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (’94-’96)

21. Admiral Vern Clark, USN (Ret.)
Chief of Naval Operations (’00-’05)

22. Admiral Archie R. Clemins, USN (Ret.)
Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet (’96-’99)

23. General Richard A. “Dick” Cody, USA (Ret.)
Vice Chief of Staff, United States Army (’04-’08)

24. Lt. General John B. Conaway, USAF (Ret.)
Chief, National Guard Bureau (’90-’93)

25. General James T. Conway, USMC (Ret.)
Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (’06-’10)

26. General John D.W. Corley, USAF (Ret.)
Commander, Air Combat Command (’07-’09)

27. General Bantz J. Craddock, USA (Ret.)
Commander, U.S. European Command and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe (’06-’09)

28. Vice Admiral Lewis W. Crenshaw, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Resources, Requirements, and Assessments (’04-’07)

29. Lt. General John “Mark” M. Curran, USA (Ret.)
Deputy Commanding General Futures, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (’03-’07)

30. General Terrence R. Dake, USMC (Ret.)
Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (’98-’00)

31. Lt. General Robert R. Dierker, USAF (Ret.)
Deputy Commander, U.S. Pacific Command (’02- ‘04)

32. Admiral Kirkland H. Donald, USN (Ret.)
Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion (’04-’12)

33. Lt. General James M. Dubik, USA (Ret.)
Commander, Multi National Security Transition Command and NATO Training Mission-Iraq (’07-’08)

34. Lt. General Kenneth E. Eickmann, USAF (Ret.)
Commander, Aeronautical Systems Center, U.S. Air Force (’96-’98)

35. Admiral William J. Fallon, USN (Ret.)
Commander, U.S. Central Command (’07-’08)

36. Admiral Thomas B. Fargo, USN (Ret.)
Commander, U.S. Pacific Command (’02-’05)

37. Admiral Mark P. Fitzgerald, USN (Ret.)
Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe (’07-’10) and U.S. Naval Forces Africa (’09-’10)

38. General Ronald R. Fogleman, USAF (Ret.)
Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force (’94-’97)

39. Lt. General Benjamin C. Freakley, USA (Ret.)
Commander, U.S. Army Accessions Command (’07-’12)

40. Lt. General Robert G. Gard, Jr., USA (Ret.)
President, National Defense University (’77-’81)

41. Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert, USN (Ret.)
Chief of Naval Operations (’11-’15)

42. Lt. General Arthur J. Gregg, USA (Ret.)
Army Deputy Chief of Staff (‘79-’81)

43. Lt. General Wallace C. Gregson, USMC (Ret.)
Commanding General, Marine Corps Forces Pacific and Marine Corps Forces Central Command (’03-’05)

44. Vice Admiral Lee F. Gunn, USN (Ret.)
Inspector General, U.S. Navy (‘97-’00)

45. General Michael W. Hagee, USMC (Ret.)
Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (‘03-’06)

46. Lt. General Michael A. Hamel, USAF (Ret.)
Commander, Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (‘05-’08)

47. General John W. Handy, USAF (Ret.)
Commander, U.S. Transportation Command and Commander, Air Mobility Command (‘01-’05)

48. Admiral John C. Harvey, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command (’09-’12)

49. General Richard E. Hawley, USAF (Ret.)
Commander, Air Combat Command (’96-’99)

50. General Michael V. Hayden, USAF (Ret.)
Director, Central Intelligence Agency (’06-’09)

51. General Paul V. Hester, USAF (Ret.)
Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Air Component Commander for the U.S. Pacific Command Commander (’04-’07)

52. General James T. Hill, USA (Ret.)
Commander, U.S. Southern Command (’02-’04)

53. Admiral James R. Hogg, USN (Ret.)
U.S. Military Representative, NATO Military Committee (’88-’91)

54. Lt. General Walter S. Hogle Jr., USAF (Ret.)
Commander, 15th Air Force (’00-’01)

55. Lt. General Steven A. Hummer, USMC (Ret.)
Deputy Commander for Military Operations, U.S. Africa Command (’13-’15)

56. Lt. General William E. Ingram, Jr., USA (Ret.)
Director, U.S. Army National Guard (’11-’14)

57. General James L. Jamerson, USAF (Ret.)
Deputy Commander in Chief, U.S. European Command (’95-’98)

58. Lt. General Arlen D. Jameson, USAF (Ret.)
Deputy Commander in Chief, U.S. Strategic Command (’93-’96)

59. Admiral Gregory G. Johnson, USN (Ret.)
Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe/Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Southern Europe (’01-’04)

60. Admiral Jerome L. Johnson, USN (Ret.)
Vice Chief of Naval Operations (’90-’92)

61. Lt. General P. K. “Ken” Keen, USA (Ret.)
Chief, Office of the U.S. Defense Representative to Pakistan (’11-’13)

62. Lt. General Richard L. Kelly, USMC (Ret.)
Deputy Commandant, Installations and Logistics (’02-’05)

63. Lt. General Claudia J. Kennedy, USA (Ret.)
Deputy Chief of Staff for Army Intelligence (’97-’00)

64. General Paul J. Kern, USA (Ret.)
Commanding General, U.S. Army Materiel Command (’01-’04)

65. General William F. Kernan, USA (Ret.)
Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic/Commander in Chief, U.S. Joint Forces Command (’00-’02)

66. Lt. General Donald L. Kerrick, USA (Ret.)
Deputy National Security Advisor to The President of the United States (’00-’01)

67. Lt. General Bruce B. Knutson, USMC (Ret.)
Commanding General, Marine Corp Combat Command (’00-’01)

68. Vice Admiral Albert H. Konetzni, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Deputy Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command and U.S. Atlantic Fleet (’01-’04)

69. General Charles Chandler Krulak, USMC (Ret.)
Commandant of the Marine Corps (’95-’99)

70. Lt. General William J. Lennox, Jr., USA (Ret.)
Superintendent, United States Military Academy (’01-’06)

71. Vice Admiral Stephen F. Loftus, USN (Ret.)
Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Logistics (’90-’94)

72. General Lance W. Lord, USAF (Ret.)
Commander, U.S. Air Force Space Command (’02-’06)

73. Admiral James M. Loy, USCG (Ret.)
Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard (’98-’02)

74. Vice Admiral Joseph Maguire, USN (Ret.)
Deputy Director for Strategic Operational Planning, National Counterterrorism Center (’07-’10)

75. Admiral Henry H. Mauz, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet (’92-’94)

76. Vice Admiral Justin D. McCarthy, SC, USN (Ret.)
Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Fleet Readiness, and Logistics (’04-’07)

77. Lt. General Dennis McCarthy, USMC (Ret.)
Commander, Marine Forces Reserve (’01-’05)

78. Vice Admiral John “Mike” M. McConnell, USN (Ret.)
Director of the National Security Agency (’92-’96)

79. General David D. McKiernan, USA (Ret.)
Commander, International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan (’08-’09)

80. General Dan K. McNeill, USA, (Ret.)
Commander, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan (’07-’08)

81. General Merrill A. McPeak, USAF (Ret.)
Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force (’90-’94)

82. Lt. General Paul T. Mikolashek, USA (Ret.)
Inspector General, U.S. Army/Commanding General of the Third U.S. Army Forces Central Command (’00-’02)

83. Vice Admiral Joseph S. Mobley, USN (Ret.)
Commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet (’98-’01)

84. General Thomas R. Morgan, USMC (Ret.)
Assistant Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps (’86-’88)

85. Lt. General Carol A. Mutter, USMC (Ret.)
Deputy Chief of Staff, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Marine Corps (’96-’98)

86. Admiral Robert J. Natter, USN (Ret.)
Commander, Fleet Forces Command/Commander, U.S. Atlantic Fleet (’00-’03)

87. General William L. Nyland, USMC (Ret.)
Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (‘02–’05)

88. Lt. General Tad J. Oelstrom, USAF (Ret.)
Superintendent, U.S. Air Force Academy (’97-’00)

89. Admiral Eric T. Olson, USN (Ret.)
Commander, U.S. Special Operation Command (’07-’11)

90. Lt. General H. P. “Pete” Osman, USMC (Ret.)
Commanding General II MEF (’02-’04)

91. Lt. General Jeffrey W. Oster, USMC (Ret.)
Deputy Administrator and Chief Operating Officer, Coalition Provisional Authority, Iraq (’04), Deputy Commandant for Programs and Resources, Headquarters Marine Corps (’98)

92. Admiral William A. Owens, USN (Ret.)
Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, (’94-’96)

93. Lt. General Frank A. Panter, Jr., USMC (Ret.)
Deputy Commandant for Installations and Logistics (’09-’12)

94. Vice Admiral David Pekoske, USCG (Ret.)
Vice Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard (’09-’10)

95. General David H. Petraeus, USA (Ret.)
Director, Central Intelligence Agency (’11-’12);
Commander, Coalition Forces in Afghanistan (’10-’11) and Iraq (’07-’08)

96. Vice Admiral Carol M. Pottenger, USN (Ret.)
Deputy Chief of Staff for Capability Development, NATO Allied Command Transformation (’10-’13)

97. Admiral Joseph W. Prueher, USN (Ret.)
Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Command (’96-’99)

98. Lt. General Harry D. Raduege, Jr., USAF (Ret.)
Director, Defense Information Systems Agency/Commander, Joint Task Force for Global Network Operations/Deputy Commander, Global Network Operations and Defense,
U.S. Strategic Command Joint Forces Headquarters, Information Operations (’00-’05)

99. Vice Admiral Norman W. Ray, USN (Ret.)
Deputy Chairman, NATO Military Committee (’92-’95)

100. Lt. General John F. Regni, USAF (Ret.)
Superintendent, United States Air Force Academy (’05-’09)

101. General Victor “Gene” E. Renuart, USAF (Ret.)
Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command
(’07-’10)

102. General Robert W. RisCassi, USA (Ret.)
Commander in Chief, United Nations Command/Commander in Chief, Republic of Korea/U.S. Combined Forces Command (’90-’93)

103. Lt. General Norman R. Seip, USAF (Ret.)
Commander, 12th Air Force /Air Forces Southern (’06-’09)

104. General Henry H. Shelton, USA (Ret.)
Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff (’97-’01)

105. Admiral William D. Smith, USN (Ret.)
U.S. Military Representative, NATO Military Committee (’91-’93)

106. Admiral Leighton W. Smith, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces Europe/Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Southern Europe (’94-’96)

107. Lt. General James N. Soligan, USAF (Ret.)
Deputy Chief of Staff for Transformation, Allied Command Transformation (’06-’10)

108. Admiral James G. Stavridis, USN (Ret.)
Commander, U.S. European Command and NATO Supreme Allied Commander,
Europe (’09-’13)

109. Lt. General Martin R. Steele, USMC (Ret.)
Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, Policies and Operations, U.S. Marine Corps (’97-’99)

110. General Carl W. Stiner, USA (Ret.)
Commander in Chief, U.S. Special Operations Command (’90-’93)

111. Vice Admiral Edward M. Straw, USN (Ret.)
Director, Defense Logistics Agency (’92-’96)

112. Vice Admiral William D. Sullivan, USN (Ret.)
U.S. Military Representative to NATO Military Committee (’06-’09)

113. Lt. General William J. Troy, USA (Ret.)
Director, Army Staff (’10-’13)

114. Admiral Henry G. Ulrich, USN (Ret.)
Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe/Commander, Joint Forces Command Naples (’05-’08)

115. General Charles F. Wald, USAF (Ret.)
Deputy Commander, U.S. European Command (’02-’06)

116. General William S. Wallace, USA (Ret.)
Commanding General, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (’05-’08)

117. Lt. General William “Kip” E. Ward, USA (Ret.)
Commander, U.S. Africa Command (’07-’11)

118. General Charles E. Wilhelm, USMC (Ret.)
Commander, U.S. Southern Command (’97-’00)

119. General Michael J. Williams, USMC (Ret.)
Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (’00-’02)

120. General Ronald W. Yates, USAF (Ret.)
Commander, Air Force Materiel Command (’92-’95)

121. General Anthony C. Zinni, USMC (Ret.)
Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command (’97-’00)