Panetta releases new strategic guidance for DoD

On Jan. 5, 2012, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta released new strategic guidance for the Department of Defense to articulate priorities for a 21^st century defense that would sustain U.S. global leadership. This guidance reflects the President’s strategic direction to the DoD and was deeply informed by DoD civilian and military leadership, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretaries of the Military Departments, and the Combatant Commanders. Panetta was joined by President Barack Obama and Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon briefing to present the new guidance.

The new guidance reflects the fact that as the U.S. draws down from operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, it faces new difficulties and opportunities. In addition, the changing geopolitical environment and current fiscal circumstances warranted an assessment of the U.S. defense strategy. As a result of the assessment the DoD developed a defense strategy that transitions the U.S. Defense enterprise from an emphasis on today’s wars to preparing for future challenges, protecting the broad range of U.S. national security interests, advancing the Department’s efforts to rebalance and reform, and supporting the national security imperative of deficit reduction through a lower level of defense spending.

This strategic guidance document describes the projected security environment and the key military missions for which the DoD will prepare. It is intended as a blueprint for the Joint Force in 2020, providing a set of precepts that will help guide decisions regarding the size and shape of the force over subsequent program and budget cycles.

For more information about the strategic guidance assessment, please follow the link below.
Sustaining U.S. Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century Defense