CSBA in the News

Protecting U.S. interests in the Middle East has never been easy, but recent developments have made it only harder. Iran’s buildup of missile forces and its pursuit of a nuclear capability have destabilized the region. The Arab Spring led to the ouster of key allies in Egypt and Yemen and weakened the Bahraini monarchy. And cuts to the defense budget will leave the United States with fewer resources to meet its security commitments.

This year, because of Washington, D.C. dysfunction and the failure of the president and Congress, Democrats and Republicans, to arrive at a budget compromise, there will be no fireworks for the children at several military bases, from Hawaii to North Carolina/…/

In August 2011, the Budget Control Act was signed into law and sequestration quickly became a buzzword in Washington. Facing the prospect of $500 billion in defense cuts over the next decade, the Department of Defense (DoD) has spent the past two years moving through the classic five stages of grief.

Few branches in the U.S. Military have been busier or more important operationally since 9/11 than U.S. Special Operations Forces who have been engaged in combat in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere around the world, while also helping build partnerships globally through training missions.