Dunford speaks on State’s role with Defense

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Corps General Joe Dunford recently spoke at the Aspen Security Forum in Aspen, Colorado. In his remarks Dunford spoke about his evolving view of the State Department and State’s importance to U.S. defense.

While speaking to NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell, Dunford admitted the he didn’t appreciate the work of the State Department and their Foreign Service officers when he was a young Marine. As his career progressed and he gained experience, that changed. “I sit here now with a great deal of humility, because there is not actually not one challenge that we confront in the U.S. military that can be solved militarily,” said Dunford, who went on to talk about the importance of foreign policy and closing the civil-military gap in politics.

Dunford also spoke about threats facing the nation, including Russia, North Korea, and ISIS.

For more information on Dunford’s remarks, please follow the links below.
Chairman Emphasizes State Department’s Importance to Defense, Department of Defense
U.S. Doesn’t Have Luxury of Choosing Challenges, Dunford Tells Aspen Crowd, Department of Defense