Center for Defense Information
Encyclopedia
The Center for Defense Information (CDI), founded in 1972 by retired U.S. Navy
Rear Admiral
Gene La Rocque
, states that it is dedicated to strengthening national and international security
through international cooperation, reduced reliance on unilateral
military
power to resolve conflict, reduced reliance on nuclear weapons
, a transformed and reformed U.S. military establishment, and prudent oversight of defense
programs.
Currently operating under the aegis of the World Security Institute
, it is composed of academics and high-ranking retired U.S. military officers who conduct critical analyses of U.S. defense and security policy.
The CDI regularly publishes the "Defense Monitor".
After the 2008 U.S. elections, it released "America’s Defense Meltdown: Pentagon Reform for President Obama and the New Congress", a collection of briefing papers by a dozen defense intellectuals and retired military officers.
Winslow T. Wheeler, director of the Straus Military Reform Project at CDI, expects costs for the F-35 Lightning II
to significantly increase, in one example of the positions he has taken on military weapons systems. The reform project is funded by Philip A. Straus Jr., a photographer, and family. Wheeler, a former U.S. Senate and Government Accounting Office staffer, is a periodic contributor to CounterPunch
's on-line site, among other publications.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral (United States)
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. The uniformed services of the United States are unique in having two grades of rear admirals.- Rear admiral :...
Gene La Rocque
Gene La Rocque
Gene R. La Rocque is a retired rear admiral of the United States Navy who founded the Center for Defense Information. Born in Kankakee, Illinois, he began his naval service in 1940....
, states that it is dedicated to strengthening national and international security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
through international cooperation, reduced reliance on unilateral
Unilateralism
Unilateralism is any doctrine or agenda that supports one-sided action. Such action may be in disregard for other parties, or as an expression of a commitment toward a direction which other parties may find agreeable...
military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
power to resolve conflict, reduced reliance on nuclear weapons
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
, a transformed and reformed U.S. military establishment, and prudent oversight of defense
Defense (military)
Defense has several uses in the sphere of military application.Personal defense implies measures taken by individual soldiers in protecting themselves whether by use of protective materials such as armor, or field construction of trenches or a bunker, or by using weapons that prevent the enemy...
programs.
Currently operating under the aegis of the World Security Institute
World Security Institute
The World Security Institute is an American think tank committed to independent research and journalism on global affairs. Based in Washington, DC, it emerged from the Center for Defense Information, which now exists in a research capacity as a component of the larger organization.The Institute's...
, it is composed of academics and high-ranking retired U.S. military officers who conduct critical analyses of U.S. defense and security policy.
The CDI regularly publishes the "Defense Monitor".
After the 2008 U.S. elections, it released "America’s Defense Meltdown: Pentagon Reform for President Obama and the New Congress", a collection of briefing papers by a dozen defense intellectuals and retired military officers.
Winslow T. Wheeler, director of the Straus Military Reform Project at CDI, expects costs for the F-35 Lightning II
F-35 Lightning II
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine, fifth generation multirole fighters under development to perform ground attack, reconnaissance, and air defense missions with stealth capability...
to significantly increase, in one example of the positions he has taken on military weapons systems. The reform project is funded by Philip A. Straus Jr., a photographer, and family. Wheeler, a former U.S. Senate and Government Accounting Office staffer, is a periodic contributor to CounterPunch
Counterpunch
Counterpunch can refer to:* Counterpunch , a punch in boxing* CounterPunch, a bi-weekly political newsletter* Counterpunch , a type of punch used in traditional typography* Punch-Counterpunch, a Transformers character...
's on-line site, among other publications.