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Leadership for America

Protect America

Protecting America and Americans from freedom’s enemies.

Read more about Protect America

Statement of Purpose

The nation must recommit itself to living the principles that made this nation safe, free, and prosperous. A complacent America, either at home or abroad, is the greatest threat to a peaceful and productive future for the United States and its friends and allies. America must have the means to remain engaged in the world - to act proactively to protect the nation and its citizens from freedom’s enemies. America is a global power with global interests. The armed forces must have the capacity to act anywhere in the world where its vital interests are threatened. To have a military that can do anything less serves to embolden freedom’s enemies. Likewise, safeguarding the homeland sends a powerful message. The fact that Americans can defend themselves against attack and at the same time grow their economy and maintain a free, open society is disheartening to the enemies of freedom.

Objectives

  1. 1.To protect America from missile attack by deploying a comprehensive missile defense system—one that protects Americans and our western allies from nuclear annihilation.

  2. 2.To ensure that America has the best military in the world, with the training and equipment necessary to keep America safe, free and prosperous. The armed forces of the United States must have the means to conduct current operations, maintain trained and ready troops, and prepare for the national security challenges of the 21st century.

  3. 3.To keep America strong by protecting the homeland and securing our borders. America will become as free and open as it was on September 10, 2001, but with secure borders and the confidence that no transnational terrorists can consider America an easy target.

  • Counterterrorism: Our Recommendations Counterterrorism: Our Recommendations

    While investigations into the act of terror in Boston and ricin-laced letters intercepted in Washington, D.C. are ongoing, there are several policies that the U.S. can and should pursue to secure the homeland from a wide spectrum of threats.

    Read More

  • Impact of Obama's Budget Proposal on Defense Impact of Obama's Budget Proposal on Defense

    President Obama’s overall budget request for fiscal year 2014 and beyond is all but certain to lead to defense spending levels that are too low to permit the military to protect U.S. vital national interests. 

    Read More

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Experts From This Initiative

  • Peter Brookes Peter Brookes

    As senior fellow for national security affairs, Peter Brookes helps develop and communicate The Heritage Foundation's stance on foreign and ...

  • James Jay Carafano, Ph.D. James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.

    James Jay Carafano, a leading expert in national security and foreign policy challenges, is The Heritage Foundation’s Vice President, Foreig...

  • Helle C. Dale Helle C. Dale

    Helle C. Dale is the Heritage Foundation's Senior Fellow in Public Diplomacy studies. Her current work focuses on the U.S. government’s inst...

  • Edwin Meese III Edwin Meese III

    Edwin Meese III, the prominent conservative leader, thinker and elder statesman, continues a quarter-century formal association with The Her...

  • Baker Spring Baker Spring

    Baker Spring is the F.M. Kirby Research Fellow in National Security Policy at The Heritage Foundation. Spring specializes in examining ...

  • Charles "Cully" Stimson Charles "Cully" Stimson

    Charles “Cully” Stimson is a widely recognized expert in national security, homeland security, crime control, drug policy and immigration. A...

  • Matt A. Mayer Matt A. Mayer

    Matt A. Mayer researches, writes and speaks on national security issues as a visiting fellow at Heritage, where the former U.S. Departme...

  • David B. Muhlhausen, Ph.D. David B. Muhlhausen, Ph.D.

    David B. Muhlhausen, a leading expert on evaluating the effectiveness of federal social programs, is a veteran analyst in The Heritage Found...

  • Paul Rosenzweig Paul Rosenzweig

    Paul Rosenzweig, who helped craft policy and strategy inside the Department of Homeland Security, brings that experience back to The Her...

  • Kim R. Holmes, Ph.D. Kim R. Holmes, Ph.D.

    Kim R. Holmes, a distinguished fellow at The Heritage Foundation, oversaw the think tank’s defense and foreign policy team for more than two...

  • Steven P. Bucci, Ph.D. Steven P. Bucci, Ph.D.

    Steven P. Bucci, who served America for three decades as an Army Special Forces officer and top Pentagon official, is a visiting fe...

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ABOUT The HERITAGE FOUNDATION

The Heritage Foundation is the nation’s most broadly supported public policy research institute, with hundreds of thousands of individual, foundation and corporate donors. Heritage, founded in February 1973, has a staff of 275 and an annual expense budget of $82.4 million.

Our mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense. Read More

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