21st Century Security Forum: The National Defense Strategy and its global impact

In the National Defense Strategy (NDS) released earlier this year, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis states “America’s military has no preordained right to victory on the battlefield.” The NDS not only argues for urgency in planning, but it marks a significant change in the focus of our forces. Notably, the document marks a shift from anti-terrorism operations to great power competition, including a new commitment to countering the actions of China and Russia. This shift has immediate consequences for policymakers around the world, and it will continue to require additional examination and discussion as it goes fully operational in the time ahead.

On April 26, Foreign Policy at Brookings hosted a forum on the near term, global impacts of the recently released NDS. Panelists included military fellows from Brookings and other think tanks as well as a number of national security professionals with backgrounds in government and academia. General Robert Neller, commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, headlined the event, with a discussion on resetting the Department of Defense under the 2018 NDS. Brookings President John R. Allen joined General Neller for the discussion.

Following each panel and the keynote discussion, panelists took audience questions.