THE MILITARY: Position Paper - 10/8/92 [Charles Fishman, editor] Please Distribute 10/08/92 THE ESSENTIAL CLINTON: THE MILITARY "What makes a President fit to command is, in my view, faith in God, belief in the greatness of our country and the goodness of our people, a commitment to making and keeping America the strongest country in the world--militarily, economically, and morally--and an understanding of the essential character of the American people." THE VISION --------------------------- "we must ensure that we have the resources we need to strengthen the two attributes that made the American military the best in the world: the outstanding quality of our personnel and the overwhelming superiority of our technology." "I support incentives for military personnel to earn military retirement by taking jobs as teachers and police. . . . I want to retrain defense industry technicians for work in critical civilian fields such as bio-technology, renewable energy, and environmental cleanup. "The [National] Guard makes sense as a force to deal with unforeseen contingencies. And the Guard can make invaluable contributions . . . in rebuilding America here at home; in providing engineering and medical assistance to distressed communities; and serving as role models and mentors to kids who need them; and doing the things which will build up our nation's strength and our security. . . ." "national security begins with economic security." THE RECORD --------------------------- "In our state, we passed a law which made up the difference for state employees between their state salary and their Guard pay while they were gone. We encouraged our private employers to do the same; provided grace periods on taxes for Arkansans who served in Desert Storm; and established family assistance centers and support groups to ease the considerable hardships of those whose loved ones were called to serve." "In times of emergency in our own state, I've called on the Guard to help with missions, from helping communities recover from ice storms and floods and deathly sweeping tornadoes, to destroying buildings used by drug dealers, to putting down a riot by refugees at Ft. Chafee in 1980." THE PLAN --------------------------- "My five-year defense budget . . . totals $1.36 trillion compared to the President's level of $1.42 trillion--a difference of only 5%." "We still must have the best equipped and best trained military to meet the real threats that we face today and those we think we are likely to face tomorrow: aggressive tyrants like Saddam Hussein; new regional conflicts; ethnic and racial strife that could spread beyond the borders of particular nations; terrorism and the threat of proliferation of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction." "Our forces must be more mobile, more precise, and more flexible, and they must have the technologically advanced weapons they need to prevail and to prevail quickly. That is why I support more emphasis on some weapons systems, including the V-22, and fast sealift and airlift." HONOR --------------------------- {to American Legion} "No one knows better than those of you in this room the solemn responsibility of the decision to use force to protect our nation's security and interests. When the American people choose a president, they want someone they can trust to act when those moments arise." "Every president in the last half-century has had to confront the fateful decision to send Americans into combat. I do not relish this prospect, but neither do I shrink from it. I know that we must have the resolve constantly to deter, sometimes to fight, always to win. And as Commander- in-Chief, I will fight to ensure that our troops who must go to battle are the best trained, best equipped and best supported in the world." "I will never allow a hollow Army." "As an American, I honor the service of every man and every woman who has served our country in uniform. As President, I will honor your service and sacrifice with deeds, not words. You've earned nothing less." "I will honor [your service] first by giving veterans the kind of health care system your country owes you. . . . we will simplify and reform eligibility and strengthen the VA's efforts to deal with the special problems veterans face-- like post-traumatic stress disorder, complications from Agent Orange, [and] drug and alcohol abuse. And we will honor America's unbreakable moral obligation to care for our veterans who were disabled in the service of our country." "I will honor your service by carrying on your tireless struggle to account for everyone who has ever served this country. . . . I do not know if there are still American POWs being held. But I do know this: when I am your President the files will be thrown open, the roadblocks will be torn down, and the truth will come out." ENDORSEMENT --------------------------- Admiral William Crowe, Ronald Reagan's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and reappointed as Chairman by George Bush: "I am today endorsing Governor Bill Clinton for President of the United States. I should stress at the outset that this is the first time in my life that I have publicly endorsed a candidate for any political office. . . ." "There has been an inordinate amount of attention in this campaign paid to Governor Clinton's lack of military service. . . . This election is primarily about the future of this country. It is about leadership that we need to meet the serious challenges ahead, be they concerns of economics, foreign affairs, domestic programs, or national security." "After considerable thought, I have concluded that Governor Clinton offers America the best choice for the future, and I strongly endorse him for President of the United States." (September 20, 1992)