97363. Cohen Discusses Three-Pronged Defense Strategy

By Linda D. Kozaryn
American Forces Press Service

        WASHINGTON -- "Shape," "respond," "prepare" sum up the 
nation's future defense strategy, William S. Cohen said here May 
6.
        Speaking at a Business Executives for National Security 
dinner, the defense secretary said DoD officials have devised a 
three-pronged strategy to defend the national interests today and 
in the 21st century. It was formulated during the Quadrennial 
Defense Review due out May 15, he said. While Cohen would not 
reveal details ahead of the deadline, he talked about the three 
components of the overall strategy.
        DoD plans to "shape" the environment by remaining engaged in 
world affairs, Cohen said. "We can't simply swing back to a 
continental cocoon and zip ourselves in and watch the world 
unfold on CNN. We have to be engaged. We have to be forward 
deployed."
        About 100,000 U.S. forces will remain in the Asia-Pacific 
region with another 100,000 in Europe. "We intend to shape 
people's opinion, ... [show] we are a reliable, strong, flexible 
ally that can be counted on in times of crisis," he said.
        Responding to crises is the second part of the review 
strategy. DoD will be called upon to respond to humanitarian 
rescue missions, noncombatant evacuations like that recently 
conducted in Albania, as well as minor and major conflicts, Cohen 
said. "We have to have that kind of flexibility; otherwise, we 
are limited in our capability of responding to these types of 
threats."
        Preparing for the future, the third part of the review 
strategy, requires streamlining the department and modernizing 
the force, Cohen said. Each year, about $15 billion migrates from 
DoD's modernization account to pay for such contingency 
operations as peacekeeping in Bosnia, he said. 
        DoD needs to recapitalize the armed forces to take advantage 
of a revolution in military affairs, he said. Incorporating 
information age technology will provide total domination of the 
battlefield, Cohen said. The department also needs to 
revolutionize its business affairs. Progress is being made toward 
a faster, more efficient, less costly way of doing business, he 
said. 
        "DoD contract payments were all paper just two years ago; 
now 50 percent are conducted through electronic means. Fifteen 
months ago, all commercial invoices were paper; today, 25 percent 
are electronic. Twelve months ago, one out of every 10 travel 
reimbursements was done electronically; now it's six out of 10. 
In the last year, all the services have terminated their office 
supply operations at military bases and have contracted out the 
work."
        More effort in this direction is needed, Cohen said. "We've 
got to streamline. We've got to downsize. We've got to outsource. 
We've got to have more competition. We've got to use commercial 
products off the shelf."
        The department's infrastructure -- bases, facilities, depots 
-- is too large, Cohen said. While troop strength has been cut by 
a third and procurement by two-thirds in the last decade, 
infrastructure has been cut by only 18 percent. DoD officials say 
base and depot closures are in store. Choices will be difficult, 
Cohen said, but necessary.
        "We have to ask Congress, 'Should depots remain in 
government hands in place of high-technology weapons in soldiers' 
hands? Do we protect facilities instead of protecting our 
forces?'"
        Further downsizing includes reforming the Office of the 
Secretary of Defense. Cohen said it is "too big, too 
bureaucratic." He said he will announce formation of a defense 
reform task force May 9 to "squeeze a good deal of the fat from 
the tail that currently is wagging the teeth."
        Cohen will soon present what he calls a blueprint for DoD's 
future to the president and Congress. "Ultimately, it's Congress 
who has control of the purse strings, who must make these choices 
I've talked about," he said.
        "I think we've come up with a proposal that protects our 
short-term security interests, that is developing our systems for 
the future and is squeezing money out of operations to put them 
into modernization," Cohen said. If approved, the nation will 
have "a fighting force for the future which is as good as it is 
today -- and every one of you know, we have the best fighting 
force in the world."





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