David Barno and Nora Bensahel, “Five Ways the U.S. Military Will Change after the Pandemic,” War on the Rocks, April 28, 2020, https://warontherocks.com/2020/04/five-ways-the-u-s-military-will-change-after- the-pandemic/.
The authors assert: “The ultimate damage [from COVID-19] will be so great that after the pandemic, the urgent need to defend the American people from devastating threats inside the homeland will quickly displace foreign threats atop the hierarchy of national security concerns.” Moreover, they claim the U.S. military will need to make at least five key changes that will shape the strategic choices and decisions senior DoD leaders will be forced to make. First, “cyber and space will be higher priorities than land, sea, and air.” Second, “reliance on forward presence will diminish.” Third, “the reserve component will become much more important [than in the past].” Fourth, “legacy programs and end strength will be cut — by a lot.” And, fifth, “the prestige of the U.S. military will be dimmed.”2
Select one of the five key changes Barno and Bensahel claim will shape the choices and decisions awaiting Pentagon leaders. Write an essay with a clear and concise thesis statement arguing the OPPOSITE position. Support the argument with evidence and cite references appropriately, using Turabian endnote style.
