A strong U.S. military is indispensable to our national security . As retired military officers , we have dedicated our careers , on active duty and retired , to that end . We have been involved in crafting and teaching national security strategy , of which military strategy and use of military force are vital components . In the debate over the Pentagon budget and with threats of deeper cuts coming , the president , Congress , governors and the entire defense community are rightly concerned about sequestration , which cuts both domestic and defense spending indiscriminately . It is agreed that overall spending reductions are necessary , but the `` fiscal cliff '' crisis reflects a lack of political will , not rational planning . Too often , the Pentagon spending debate is ensnared in the outmoded ideology of past wars and driven by legions of lobbyists for parochial interests in the military-industrial complex . America 's power is more than a massive force structure and numbers of ships , tanks and planes . A national security strategy must be based on current and future threats , not past war doctrines . In 2008 , a National Intelligence Estimate declared the economic crisis , not terrorism , as the greatest threat to national security . Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Adm. Mike Mullin , along with other senior military leaders , endorsed that assessment . Zakaria : Will we get big fiscal deal , or small ? It is doubtful that future threats will call for many of the expensive weapon systems advocated by parochial interests and some political leaders -- a system such as the F-35 joint strike fighter . Developing this plane has cost more than was spent on veterans in the last 20 years . Today , the use of manned aircraft is more and more limited . Our leaders must have a serious debate about priorities : America needs political resolve to kill unnecessary and expensive projects . Our nuclear weapons policy is based on Cold War conditions that no longer exist . The Pentagon is expected to spend more than $ 700 billion on nuclear weapons over the next 10 years , for little added security . The former U.S. Strategic Command Chief Gen. James Cartwright has called for a drastic cut in nuclear weapons , saying the U.S. has a stockpile `` beyond our needs . What is it we 're really trying to deter ? Our current arsenal does not address the threats of the 21st century . '' The program is based more on ideology than security . Sadly , defense spending is driven by political interests , not necessity . In his 1986 book `` The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers , '' Paul Kennedy argues that great powers fall by bankrupting themselves to rule extensive empires . After the invasion of Iraq , Kennedy published an op-ed , `` Perils of Empire , '' suggesting America may furnish material for another chapter . In the last decade , America fought two expensive wars and Congress has yet to pay for them ; that policy has contributed to our precarious economic position . Sequestration is not an effective means of excising wasteful Pentagon spending ; it is the result of political gridlock and special interest intransigence . As Congress attempts to undo its own mess and prevent sequestration , the Pentagon budget needs to be on the table . Reducing wasteful spending on unneeded programs and outdated strategy will save money and enhance national security . The political argument that cutting defense spending will cost jobs is spurious . Pentagon spending purchases one item and does not provide greater economic benefits . The F-35 program is slated to cost $ 1.5 trillion over its lifetime ; these are resources that are desperately needed elsewhere or could pay down the national debt . After more than a decade of wars of dubious value , America will receive a greater return on investment by investing in our troops and veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan . Every dollar wasted on unnecessary programs could be caring for and training our servicemen and women . Instead of building new toys that are kept in the garage , let 's provide education and job training to veterans . Recent congressional refusal to approve such a jobs program is a disgrace . Cutting Pentagon spending recognizes that national security is more than military power . The United States is stronger with a strong economy , sustainable jobs , investment in education , renewal of our infrastructure and a sensible energy strategy . Continuing to waste money when our nation should have other priorities is bad policy and bad for security .
Writers : Pentagon spending is based on strategies from old ideology and driven by lobbyists . Generals : Strategy must be based on today 's and future threats , not Cold War doctrines . Writers : Unnecessary F-35 strike fighter costs more than money spent on vets in 20 years . Comment: Instead of building expensive new toys to keep in the garage , let 's rethink priorities .