CHARLESTON, SC - Governor George W. Bush offered a clear vision for the future of the American military today in a speech to cadets at The Citadel saying, "If elected president, I will set three goals: I will renew the bond of trust between the American president and the American military, I will defend the American people against missiles and terror, and I will begin creating the military of the next century."

In order to renew the bond of trust between the president and the armed forces, Gov. Bush offered proposals for better pay, better treatment and better training. Currently thousands of members of the armed forces are on food stamps and many in uniform get Army Emergency Relief or depend on their parents. "This is not the way that a great nation should reward courage and idealism. It is ungrateful, it is unwise and it is unacceptable," said Gov. Bush.

Gov. Bush proposed increasing the currently planned military pay raise by $1 billion to encourage the best and brightest to enlist - and reenlist - in the armed forces. He also proposed targeted bonuses for those with special skills, renovations to military housing, and improvements in the quality of training at military bases and national training centers.

"But, our military requires more than good treatment," said Gov. Bush. "It needs the rallying point of a defining mission. And that mission is to deter wars - and win wars when deterrence fails. Sending our military on vague, aimless and endless deployments is the swift solvent of morale."

As President, Gov. Bush would direct an immediate review of our overseas deployments in order to replace diffuse commitments with focused ones and uncertain missions with well-defined objectives. "We must be selective in the use of our military, precisely because America has other great responsibilities that cannot be slighted or compromised. And nothing would be better for morale than clarity and focus from the commander-in-chief," said Gov. Bush.

Gov. Bush also prioritized the defense of our homeland, specifically "on the troubled frontiers of technology and terror," saying, "The protection of America itself will assume a high priority in a new century. Once a strategic afterthought, homeland defense has become an urgent duty."

He noted biological, chemical, and nuclear terrorism, information warfare, and North Korea’s missile capability as examples of the serious threats currently facing our country. As a first line of defense, Gov. Bush offered a simple message. "Every group or nation must know if they sponsor such attacks, our response will be devastating."

Along with that message, Governor Bush proposed strengthening our national defense by deploying theater and national anti-ballistic missile system, building up the intelligence community, and increasing surveillance and treatments for chemical and biological agents.

"But defending the homeland is just the beginning of our challenge," said Gov. Bush. "We must take advantage of the tremendous opportunity to extend the current peace into the far realm of the future. A chance to project America’s peaceful influence, not just across the world, but across the years."

To make sure that the military is strategically and technologically prepared for the future, Gov. Bush proposed a comprehensive review of the military including, the structure of its forces, the state of its strategy, and the priorities of its procurement to challenge the status quo and envision a new architecture of American defense for decades to come. This involves shifting budget priorities away from marginal improvements in current weapons and toward new technologies and strategies - making our military more agile, mobile, and lethal from long distances.

Following the comprehensive review, Gov. Bush will expect the military’s budget priorities to match the strategic vision. At least 20 percent of the procurement budget for acquisition programs will be earmarked for programs that propel America generations ahead in military technology. There will also be additional emphasis on developing new technologies with an increase of $20 billion in research and development spending. Gov. Bush noted that "this will require spending more - and spending more wisely."

"Power is increasingly defined, not by mass or size, but by mobility and swiftness. Influence is measured in information, safety is gained in stealth, and force is projected on the long arc of precision-guided weapons," said Gov. Bush. "The results of our effort will not be seen for many years. The outcome of great battles is often determined by decisions on funding and technology made decades before, in the quiet days of peace."

Gov. Bush decided to visit The Citadel for this speech so that he could talk about the future of the military with those who will make up the future military. He concluded his address to the cadets saying, "Moments of national opportunity are either seized or lost, and the consequences reach across decades. Our opportunity is here - to show that a new generation can renew America’s purpose.

"My generation is fortunate. In the world of our fathers, we have seen how America should conduct itself. We have seen leaders who fought a world war and organized the peace. We have seen the power exercise without swagger and influence displayed without bluster. We have seen the modesty of true strength, the humility of greatness. We have seen American power tempered by American character.

"Now comes our time of testing. Our measure is taken, not only by what we have and use, but what we build and leave behind. And nothing this generation could ever build will matter more than the means to defend our nation and extend our peace."