Washington, DC— The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition today announced that its National Security Advisory Council, composed of top military leaders from around the country, has reached the milestone of 100 members.

The National Security Advisory Council (NSAC) is a unique, non-partisan group of 100 prominent retired three and four-star generals and admirals representing all five branches of the Armed Forces who have united in support of increasing use of America’s non-military tools as a centerpiece of our national security.

“Having served my country for over four decades, I had many opportunities to see how critical it is for our civilian counterparts to be strong and adequately resourced,” said NSAC co-chair Admiral Jim Loy, Ret. (USCG).  “My colleagues and I know it is more important than ever to use all of our tools of national influence to keep our nation safe and secure.”

“The on-the-ground experience of these extraordinary military leaders and their personal testimonies demonstrate how critical it is for us to have a strong and effective International Affairs Budget to accomplish our nation’s foreign policy goals,” said USGLC Executive Director Liz Schrayer.  “We are grateful for their service to our country and their continued leadership in keeping us safe in today’s complex world.”

In March, members of the National Security Advisory Council sent a letter to Congress expressing support for a strong and effective International Affairs Budget. The letter stated “Addressing today’s challenges with civilian tools costs far less than it does to send in the military in dollars and, more importantly, in terms of the risks to the lives of our men and women in uniform. At just over one percent of federal spending, the International Affairs Budget is a strong return on our investment.”

This message was also echoed by the late Congressman Charlie Wilson in an opinion editorial in The Washington Post in 2008.  In discussing how important civilian tools are in keeping our nation safe, particularly in reference to the war in Afghanistan, he said, “We must recognize now, as we learned years ago, that a strong military alone is not enough to ensure our long-term national security.”

For a complete list of the 100 military leaders that compose the USGLC’s National Security Advisory Council, please click here.

The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (www.usglc.org) is a broad-based influential network of 400 businesses and NGOs; national security and foreign policy experts; and business, faith-based, academic and community leaders in all 50 states who support a smart power approach of elevating diplomacy and development alongside defense in order to build a better, safer world.

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