America in the World - An Address by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates

When Robert Gates became the twenty-second secretary of defense in December 2006, his first job was to be a secretary of war,¬ to define and implement the Iraq "surge" strategy under President George W. Bush. He has continued in a similar role under President Barack Obama, playing a leading part in formulating strategy in Afghanistan. At the same time, Secretary Gates has exerted enormous influence on the Department of Defense as an institution, demanding first that the Pentagon "win the wars we're in."

At AEI on May 24, Secretary Gates will deliver one of his last Washington addresses as secretary of defense. The politics of deficit reduction has convinced many that military spending should be "on the table." Gates has argued that any defense budget cuts should be driven by strategy, not "math." As he prepares to leave the Pentagon's E ring, he is uniquely placed to map the right road ahead for America's military.

Immediately following Secretary Gates's speech, AEI vice president for foreign and defense policy studies Danielle Pletka will host a discussion among three prominent defense experts, Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution, Christopher Preble of the Cato Institute, and Tom Donnelly, director of AEI's Center for Defense Studies. The panel will offer quick-reaction analysis of the policies outlined in Gates's remarks, while placing them in the context of the current defense-budget political debate as well as his legacy as secretary of defense.

Follow expert opinion on Secretary Gates's speech, and join the discussion on Twitter with your own reaction, using the hashtag #AEIGates.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Robert Gates
• Secretary of Defense
• DoD
• defense-budget
• legacy
• AEI
• Iwacu

[pachuansam]

this is the same robert gates now attending a secret meeting with foreign leaders -Bilderberg= violating the Logan act. ...TREASON !!

[KenMacMillan]

If Secretary Gates were to run for office I would consider him.