Dear Speaker Ryan, Minority Leader Pelosi, Majority Leader
McConnell, and Minority Leader Schumer: As you and your
colleagues address the federal budget for Fiscal Year 2018.
we write as retired three and four star flag and general
officers from all branches of the armed services to share our
strong conviction that elevating and strengthening diplomacy
and development alongside defense are critical to keeping
America safe. We know from our service in uniform that many of the crises
our nation faces do not have military solutions alone--from
confronting violent extremist groups like ISIS in the Middle
East and North Africa to preventing pandemics like Ebola and
stabilizing weak and fragile states that can lead to greater
instability. There are 65 million displaced people today. the
most since World War II, with consequences including refugee
flows that are threatening America's strategic allies in
Israel, Jordan, Turkey, and Europe. The State Department. USAID, Millennium Challenge
Corporation, Peace Corps and other development agencies are
critical to preventing conflict and reducing the need to put
our men and women in uniform in harm's way.