Here are a set of top priorities the new Trump administration should consider for the first 100 days in the Department of Defense. Taken together, they will help ensure a smooth transition from one administration to another, signal to allies and enemies alike our commitment to stability in Europe and make certain that the U.S. armed forces remain the world’s best.
Press to pass 2025 budget immediately
Congress has not passed any of the 12 budget bills required to fund government operations in fiscal year2025. Since the end of September, the Department of Defense (DOD) has been operating on a continuing resolution (CR) that runs through Dec. 20. Given leadership changes in Congress resulting from the election, there is talk of extending this CR to March to give new leadership time to coalesce. This means DOD could be operating on a CR for half of fiscal 2025.
CRs are disruptive to DOD operations and wasteful. New programs cannot begin and existing programs remain at FY-24 funding levels even if additional funding may be required to ensure continued progress. CRs delay contracts and grants, delay hiring affecting DOD’s ability to provide capabilities in a timely manner and increase bureaucratic workload reducing productivity. In 2019, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, said the CR cost the department $19 billion, or $23.4 billion in 2024 dollars.
Make case for continuing support for Ukraine
President-elect Trump believes he can end the war in Ukraine quickly. That is only possible if the U.S. throws Ukraine to the Russian bear. We can threaten to discontinue military support if Ukraine doesn’t accept a cease fire in place and an agreement that would likely cede 20% of Ukrainian territory to Russia. This is a bargain the Ukraine should and will likely refuse because it would result in Ukraine becoming a rump state with a future Russian military threat remaining in place. Putin has demonstrated he cannot be counted on to abide by treaties and once the Russian army has rearmed, he could attack again.
Now is not the time to give up. Since January 2022, the U.S. and some 50 other nations have pledged a total of $380 billion to support Ukraine, and Russia is in deep trouble. About 90% of the force Putin began the invasion with has been destroyed and the force now in the field is poorly trained, poorly lead and undermanned. Putin had to turn to North Korean mercenaries to confront the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk.
Domestically, Putin has put the Russian economy on a war footing which is unsustainable. Spending 40% or more of annual income on military and security forces causes shortages in the civilian economy. Inflation is at 21%, the value of the ruble has plunged and shortages impacting middle class Russians will grow steadily worse. Sanctions are especially hindering the defense industrial complex.
Abandoning Ukraine now would hand Putin most of what he hoped to achieve and place at risk a number of U.S. national security interests. The U.S. and many other nations understand Russia’s aggression violates a range of international norms and represents a direct threat to Europe and the international system that must be defeated.
The European Union and NATO have pledged to continue supporting Ukraine so ending U.S. support would drive a wedge between the U.S. and many of our allies in Europe and Asia. Japan and the Republic of Korea know the best way to deter China from attacking Taiwan is to ensure Russia loses its attempt to subjugate a neighbor.
If the U.S. and the 50 some allies in the Ukraine Defense Contact Group continue support for another year, a peace deal on terms the Ukrainians can accept may be feasible in late 2025.
Resist moving U.S. Space Command to Alabama
USSPACECOM, established in 2019 in facilities at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, achieved full operational capability in 2023, and leadership there have been striving to sort out organizational structures and map a way ahead to achieve U.S. security objectives in space.
The Alabama congressional delegation is already lobbying to have the USSPACECOM headquarters moved from Colorado to Huntsville, Alabama. This would be an unnecessary, expensive and disruptive move just as the headquarters is achieving operational efficiency.
It’s estimated it will take three to five years to build new facilities at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama. A work force survey disclosed that many of the civilian technical personnel would choose not to relocate because they could easily find new positions in Colorado Springs. The core of U.S. military space operations is in Colorado — not Alabama, and key leaders have concluded that moving the headquarters to Huntsville would create an unacceptable downturn in operational effectiveness when there are serious concerns about falling behind China in space capabilities.
Push back on getting the military involved in politics
During his first administration, President Trump considered using the active military domestically on a number of occasions raising serious issues in civil military relations. U.S. law and the Constitution place important constraints on the use of the military domestically. Immediately following the election, Secretary of Defense Austin sent a message to the force reminding personnel of their responsibility to obey the lawful orders of the civilian leadership and to stay out of politics.
DOD military and civilian personnel take an oath to execute lawful orders from their superiors and to protect and defend the Constitution. Given rhetoric during the campaign calling for use of the military against a mythical “threat from within,” some in the new administration may propose using the military in ways contrary to existing laws and the Constitution. DOD leaders should be prepared to push back and educate new administration officials on the appropriate use of U.S. military forces.
