National Security

I believe in Peace through strength — an enduring peace, based on freedom and the will to defend it. Today, it requires defending America’s homeland, including remaining vigilant in confronting global terrorism, maintaining a robust defense against the threats arising from nuclear proliferation, including a strong ballistic missile defense for America and our allies, and promoting an effective, capable intelligence community. It requires a full commitment to America’s Armed Forces to ensure they are modern, agile, and adaptable to the unpredictable range of challenges in the years ahead. And it requires a sustained international effort, which complements our military activities, to develop and maintain alliances and relationships that will lead to greater peace and stability. While the United States participates in various international organizations which can serve the cause of peace and posterity, they must never substitute for principled American leadership nor prevent America from joining other democracies to protect our vital national interests.

We are in a desperate need of a realignment of our armed forces. No, I didn’t say “cut” the armed forces. We need to refine the definitions each service’s mission to support our National interests and current day threats. We then need to give them the tools and ability to carry out those missions.

There needs to be a meeting of the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the National Security Advisor, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In this meeting they need to discuss an objective of strengthening the armed forces by refining missions, streamlining forces, modernization and the elimination of obsolete equipment, facilities, and services.

Another more controversial policy change we would propose is to eliminate the utilization of drone strikes as an assassination tool. For us this is just as barbaric as terrorists. Drones should be used for intelligence gathering and the destruction of facilities. The only time we believe drones should be used as an assassination tool is if Congress officially declares war.

We require all males of majority age, 18 years old, to register with the selective service. If they don’t, they are penalized in various ways such as not being eligible for federal student loans and grants. If we truly believe in equally for all, then all persons of majority age, regardless of race, religion, sex or sexually orientation should be required to register with selective service. We all have a stake in this country and all of us need to defend it in one way or another.

The National Guard should only be our national guard and not be sent to foreign lands. Our Coast Guard should only guard our coasts and not sent to foreign shores.

We need to get back to guarding our own interests and not farming it out to a civilian organization. Our armed forces should be armed even in our embassies and consulates. If they can’t be because that countries government will not allow it, then those embassies or consulates should be closed.

We also owe our veterans a huge debt of gratitude for their service. Without them we wouldn’t be the Nation that we are today. They keep us free!

After their honorable service we need to help them assimilate back into the civilian world where they can continue to be productive in helping this country. As such we would propose a change to incentivize employers to hire honorably discharged Veterans.

In conjunction with the e-verify system, we would propose a change to include a box that signifies that the person was honorably discharged from the armed services or is currently serving in the National Guard as part of the verification process. Once this is in place and e-verify is mandatory, we recommend that all employers who hire Veterans should receive a 25% repayment on the wages paid to the veteran during their first year of employment. This would be accomplished once the employer submits the W-2’s for their company at year end. This would also require a change to the W-2 to include a box designating that person as an honorably discharged veteran or serving in the National Guard. The employer would then receive a check from the federal government for 25% of that person’s pay to include as income or as a reimbursement to wage expenses.

Now for those that try to defraud the system, there should be a penalty of 200% of the false wage submission if found guilty; a penalty that would not reduce the net income of the company for tax purposes.