Facing the Future: Meeting the Threats and Challenges of the 21st Century: Highlights of the Priorities, Initiatives, and Accomplishments of the U.S. Department of Defense 2001-2004
Abstract
When President George W. Bush took office four years ago, the country was still savoring its victory in the Cold War, the culmination of a long struggle that challenged generations of Americans and leaders of both political parties. The Warsaw Pact had dissolved and Communism, as predicted, found its place on the ash heap of history. From his first days in office, the President understood that the country was entering an era of the unexpected and the unpredictable, and he was concerned that our country was not well prepared. The Soviet Empire was gone, but our American military was still preparing to fight it. The most likely enemies of the future lacked large armies, navies, and air forces, but we were still arranged to defend against the conventional armies, navies, and the last century. In short, we had won the wars of the past, but were not yet prepared for the asymmetric challenges of the future, for attacks on our homeland, or for the possibility of surprise from threats that could not be foreseen. Though much has been accomplished, the challenges we confronted four years ago remain today.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA524470
Entities
Organizations
- Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs