Department of Defense Releases the National Defense and the National Military Strategies

The Department of Defense (DoD) released its National Defense Strategy (NDS) and
National Military Strategy (NMS) today. These strategies outline an active,
layered approach to the defense of the nation and its interests. They seek to
create conditions conducive to respect for the sovereignty of nations and a secure
international order favorable to freedom, democracy, and economic opportunity. The
strategies promote close cooperation with others around the world who are committed
to these goals and address mature and emerging threats.

“Since 9/11, the Department has updated its strategic thinking --
incorporating lessons learned from Iraq, Afghanistan and other operations,” said
Douglas J. Feith, under secretary of defense for policy. “We now have a strategy
that positions us better to handle strategic uncertainty, recognizes the value of
measures to resolve problems before they become crises and crises before they
become wars, and emphasizes the importance of building partnership capacity to
address security problems.”

The NDS is issued periodically, and the NMS is updated every two years. These
documents outline how the Department supports the president’s National Security
Strategy and provide the strategic context for the ongoing Quadrennial Defense
Review.

The NDS defines DoD’s strategic objectives: securing the U.S. from direct attack;
securing strategic access and retaining freedom of action; strengthening alliances
and partnerships; and establishing security conditions conducive to a favorable
international order.

The NMS provides strategic guidance to the armed forces on how to support NDS
objectives. It sets forth three military objectives: protecting the U.S.;
preventing conflict and surprise attack; and prevailing against adversaries.

The preceeding was a NEWS RELEASE from the United States Department of Defense.