The USGLC’s Veterans for Smart Power movement, launched in August, is an effort to enlist America’s veterans in supporting development and diplomacy alongside defense as the three pillars of American foreign policy. We’re proud to announce nearly 5,000 veterans and their supporters have joined the Facebook page, and hundreds of veterans have signed a petition telling Congress how important funding the International Affairs Budget is to our national security.

General Richard D. Hearney, USMC (Ret.), and General Charles F. Wald, USAF (Ret.) are serving as co-chairs of the Veterans for Smart Power campaign.  Both are members of the National Security Advisory Council of the USGLC and fully support the call “on Congress to invest in development and diplomacy alongside defense and support a smart power approach to national security.”

If you haven’t seen it already, here’s a video on why supporting smart power is the right thing to do.

If you haven’t already, sign the petition to Congress urging Members to support a smart power national security strategy that invests in non-military tools of development and diplomacy. While you’re at it, be sure and join the Facebook discussion with thousands of other veterans and their supporters to show you know first-hand that both a strong military and robust diplomatic and development corps are essential to keep America safe and defeat today’s global threats.