Department of Defense's FY2010 Budget Request
The Obama administration's Defense Department released a "Special Topics report" (PDF) offering some information about how the Pentagon's 2010 budget request might affect assistance to Latin America. This report is far less detailed than the State Department report, on which we reported in the previous blog post. However, it does offer some relevant information about what the DoD budget would fund in 2010. The budget request includes seven budget priorities, three of which refer to programs to be developed in the Western Hemisphere. These three budget priorities are: Global Defense Posture, Irregular Warfare, and Combatant Commands. The highlights from the report for each of the three budget priorities, in reference to the Western Hemisphere, are listed below. Global Defense Posture According to the Special Topics document, this budget priority includes realigning the Department's "global military presence, transforming U.S. overseas forces, basing structures and host nations relationships into a flexible and relevant forward posture that coherently supports the Defense Strategy." For Latin America, this means that "the Department's objective is to develop an array of access arrangements for contingency operations, logistics, and training in Central/South America, and it is currently discussing possible arrangements for increased access in several countries in the region." Most notably, "the FY 2010 Base budget includes $46 million for a cooperative security location at Palanquero Air Base in Colombia." In the past, we have speculated about what will happen after Ecuador closes the Manta air base in November of this year. It appears that the Palanquero Air Base in Colombia would be part of the replacement strategy. Irregular Warfare This budget priority includes investment in "counternarcotics, counterterrorism, and security and stabilization assistance." For U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), one of the "general purpose forces" would include "mature maritime and littoral [Irregular Warfare] operations capabilities and embrace partner development through Global Partnership Stations." Combatant Commands According to the budget request, U.S. SOUTHCOM would receive $200 million in FY2010, which would represent a 2% increase in funds from FY2009. In regard to SOUTHCOM, this section of the report gives the most "details" about how the budget would be used: "The FY 2010 budget for USSOUTHCOM will complete its transformation and reorganization into an interagency oriented organization, positioning the United States as the partner of choice in the Americas. The command is setting the standard to ensure the organization operates effectively in a 21st century environment and supports democracy, individual freedoms and rights, liberty, fair trade, diplomacy, development, security for the Americas. The USSOUTHCOM's strategy and activities are designed to promote security and stability in partnership with all the nations in the region. They also complement and support the activities conducted by many departments and agencies, principally the State Department, Agency for International Development, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Coast Guard. The FY 2010 Base funding request includes resources to fund the following efforts:
- Expands humanitarian activities, build friendships and attract allies at the regional and local level with the additional funding requested for Humanitarian and Civic Assistance (HCA) and OHDACA
- Integrates military and civilian efforts through closer interaction with other government agencies to ensure a whole of government approach
- Advises foreign security forces and expand their ability to combat narcoterrorism/terrorism
- Implements a newly developed public-private cooperation and business engagement strategy.
- Expands exercises, country participation and military-to-military engagement with our allies, strengthen partnerships, renew alliances, improve partner nation capabilities, establish relationships and gain increased access.
- Focuses on community outreach and improve the profile of the U.S. Government and U.S. Southern Command in the local community.
- Works in partnership with other government agencies to train and equip partner nations and propose initiatives that address common security challenges."