Vienna, Austria—The below opinion piece is authored by George Bottorff, Gunnery Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, retired. While the president highlights over and over America’s military might but simultaneously demands cuts to non-Department of Defense (DoD) sectors within the Executive Branch, the author provides real-life experiences demonstrating why various sectors of the federal government all play a role in protecting our nation. George is a California UOCAVA voter, resident of Austria, and Member of the Democrats Abroad Global Veterans and Military Families Caucus.
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What is in a book? You will only find out when you open it up. My military career repeatedly confirmed this fact. Allow me a few moments to explain further.
One of my key roles while serving in the Marine Corps was being an infantryman. This meant I was required to spend a lot of time outdoors. At first, it was admittedly a little difficult, but I came to learn that the longer you spend outside, the more your body adjusts to its environment. As a young corporal, I was sent to Amphibious Reconnaissance School. We spent some days in the classroom, but most of the time we were learning to respect what the Marines called the “Big Ugly Lady” – better known to civilians as the Pacific Ocean. What we quickly came to understand is that she was very unforgiving if you did not respect her, and the same applied to Mother Nature in general. During combat training, it was common to swallow too much of the dangerous saltwater. Our instructors made sure we would learn this lesson well. We never—and I mean never—disrespected her. Because doing so would mean that you would either die in this course or they would send you back to the unit you came from. Thank goodness I enjoy swimming and was not afraid of the Big Ugly Lady; I respected her, and in return, she taught us how to live in her environment.
We also learned about the phases of the Moon and its effects on Earth. We learned about the significance of high tides and low tides in terms of military strategies and applications. We were taught the shapes of beaches so that we would be aware of the rip tides. We were educated on how to read the waves and navigate on the ocean at night with a compass. We were taught different scenarios involving ocean currents, and if you stopped in the water, how to figure out how far you might have drifted off course. These are just a few of the essential things I learned at this school.
Understanding the mutually respectful relationship between the DoD and nature is critical for Marines to complete the amphibious missions they are tasked with in defending our country—this is the primary reason the Marine Corps was established in 1775.
Despite the advances in technology from my time in uniform, every military operation utilizes agencies’ knowledge to navigate at night or day, whether it is in the air, on land, or in conjunction with the Big Ugly Lady. One of the lesser-known federal agencies is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This is one of those agencies from which we can obtain accurate information. This agency collaborates with scientific bodies, private companies, and universities to ensure a continuous network of support, always available to us in our time of need. Data analysts, engineers, and scientists do tremendous work in gathering this information and making it available to the Armed Forces. Why on earth would the president want to cut its funding by 29%?
Similarly, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), established in 1979 by President Carter, is another government tool which provides critical data to the Armed Forces and essential resources to civilians. Before storms, wildfires, avalanches, hurricanes, and other disasters, FEMA deploys experienced experts to work with states and territories to prepare for these upcoming events. For instance, when it’s known that a threat is coming, it’s FEMA that ensures there are adequate shelters and drinking water in place, along with a command center set up. This is how they have always worked. FEMA compiles the necessary information well in advance of the storm from NOAA and its various programs. FEMA also collaborates with the military in training us on how to fight fires and teaches us how to effectively organize our units in the event of a natural disaster. Why on earth would the president want to slash FEMA’s staff and emergency grants?
The Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management is expected to have its funding cut by $779 million, or 9%, which would delay nuclear clean-up efforts stemming from the Manhattan Project through the end of the Cold War. Why on earth would the president want to cut its funding by 9%?
From measuring climate change to assess its impacts on our military bases, to researching Antarctica and the health of our planet, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has for years made enormous contributions to DoD functions as well. And the same could be said about the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Academy of Sciences, and the list goes on.
All of the above departments and agencies collaborate with the Armed Forces. If you take away the agencies that help support you or educate you, and you leave them with only two or three people in staff positions, you are inevitably going to be looking at a significant loss of life. And the area in which the next disaster happens will undoubtedly need to be rebuilt from square one.
Because each person looks at the world differently, a leader’s compass is often defined by the books they have read. That is, they look to see what this person did to overcome a situation that they just could not get past. So, perhaps they read something about Harvey Milk, Martin Luther King, Jr., or Michelle Obama, to name a few. In these books, they motivate to persevere. At the same time, it inspires the leaders’ troops. Enthusiasm is a valuable Leadership Trait, and like a disease, it is very contagious.
How does this all work? The old teach the young not just knowledge, but also experiences. It comes down to the who, what, when, where, why, and how. When the youth can answer these questions, they can organize and deploy units where and when needed before the storm.
The United States is in great demand for STEMM (science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine) professionals. Many of these individuals contribute significantly to the overall U.S. military mission – whether it involves combat-related activities, improving our transportation infrastructure, or ensuring the health of our service members and their families, among other responsibilities. What President Trump and his Republican allies in Congress are doing is taking apart our democracy and national security, bit by bit, and weakening our nation. Even as the DoD’s Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) has downsized by 30% since January, it still struggles more than ever to conduct outreach worldwide to inform U.S. citizens of their right to vote. Why is the president not prioritizing FVAP expansion? As Americans living abroad, we must continue to demand accountability and robust funding from all elected officials stateside for military and veterans’ purposes.
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U.S. citizens living abroad, both civilian and military, are highly encouraged to check your voter registration status and request your ballot for any upcoming elections in your home voting state that you are eligible to vote in.
The VMF Caucus, proudly consisting of veterans, military family members, DoD civilians, and strong allies of veterans and military family causes, has a membership of approximately 1,400 members located in dozens of countries.
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