Imbalance Between Departments of Defense and State Dangerous for U.S. Foreign Policy

Washington, DC – A shortage of qualified and available U.S. Foreign Service Officers and other personnel has created a vacuum that the U.S. is forced to fill with military personnel, said a new report by Refugees International released today. Drawing on the Full Strength of America: Seeking Greater Civilian Capacity in U.S. Foreign Affairs highlights the urgent need to build up U.S. civilian agencies in light of the severe inequity between the Department of Defense and the State Department. One example lies across the Sahel and Maghreb, where soldiers are conducting development and public diplomacy tasks because there aren’t enough civilians.

“The notion that American military power alone is enough to keep America secure has been completely discredited,” said Refugees International Peacekeeping Manager Ron Capps, author of the report. “America’s foreign policy would be far more effective if the State Department and USAID received the resources they need to do their jobs. Congress and the Obama administration must begin by hiring the nearly 5,000 Foreign Service Officers the State Department and USAID require to do their essential work.”

The report explains the history and magnitude of the disproportionate funding between the Departments of Defense and State. For example, USAID has lost 75 percent of its staffing since 1975. Key steps are also outlined to restore U.S. civilian agencies’ capacity and re-assert the U.S. position as a global diplomatic leader. In addition to increasing the size of the Foreign Service, other steps include increasing U.S. Ambassadors’ authority over personnel and funding and ending the use of Department of Defense Civil Affairs activities as cover for intelligence operations because of the risk they produce for legitimate humanitarian workers. However, until the Department of State and USAID have the resources they need to manage security and development assistance, the Department of Defense must maintain some limited authorities in these areas.

“We believe that the atrophy of civilian capacity, and the resultant inability of the U.S. government to globally project elements of soft power, place an unfair burden on our military, present the wrong image of America to the world, and reduce our effectiveness in promoting international security, thus making America and the world less secure,” says the report.

“American foreign policy should fully reflect our society and should give the world the best America has to offer, both in its civilian and military capacity,” added Mr. Capps. “The disparity between the Departments of Defense and State is not insurmountable. With the right kind of leadership from the Obama administration and Congress we can correct the imbalance.”

Refugees International is an independent, non-profit humanitarian advocacy organization based in Washington, DC. We do not accept government or United Nations funding, relying instead on contributions from individuals, foundations and corporations. Download a copy of the report at www.refugeesinternational.org.