The big news this week was President Obama’s decision to shift U.S. military strategy in the face of continued pressure on Defense budgets, and changes in the global threat. According to a report in the Washington Post, this shift will ultimately reduce the size of both the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, cut the size of our nuclear arsenal, and reduce the number of U.S. troops stationed in Europe.

While spending will be cut in these areas, additional resources will be allocated to Special Operations forces, drone aircraft, and cybersecurity. And while there will be an overall shift in the military’s focus from Europe and Russia to Asia, China, and North Korea, the Middle East will still retain a large U.S. military presence.

With our ongoing deficit problems, it’s clear to me that we will have to tighten our belt and the military will have to take part in this exercise. In addition, the nature of the threats to our nation are changing dramatically. While Russia will always be a great potential adversary, the rise of China is something we cannot ignore. I would like to hear what you think about this change in our military strategy.

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Last week I took a trip up to Julian, a mountain community about an hour east of San Diego. Although there was no snow, it was a beautiful day and the apple pie was delicious.

– Bob