Department of Defense

The Administration continues to invest in the Nation’s military servicemembers and their families and provides them with the training, equipment, and infrastructure needed to maintain military readiness.  The President's 2012 Budget for the Department of Defense (DOD) reflects that commitment, proposing $553 billion - an increase of $22 billion above the 2010 appropriation.

The Budget includes a series of management and acquisition reforms that will produce a net of $78 billion in savings through 2016. Cost-cutting measures include the consolidation of several Air Force operation centers, reduced Army construction costs, and the Navy's use of multi-year procurement strategies.  DOD supports the provision of an additional $2.2 billion for National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) weapons activities between 2013 and 2016. These funds will enhance the reliability of the Nation’s nuclear weapons complex and support the goals of the Nuclear Posture Review as the U.S. and Russia implement the New START Treaty.

The incremental costs of funding Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO), including ongoing efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq, are funded separately in the 2012 Budget. 

Protects Americans and Supports Those Who Serve

• Supports the Administration’s goal to provide the troops with the most effective and modern equipment possible in a cost-efficient manner.  Departmental priorities include improving business practices, such as developing and purchasing weapons consistent with recently improved acquisition policy.
• Maintains ready forces with $172 billion to support training and readiness and continues efforts to rebalance military forces to focus on both today’s wars as well as potential future conflicts.
• Prepares for emerging threats by fully funding the $31.8 million reorganization of a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosive response element and the addition of eight Homeland Response Forces, which will be in place prior to the end of fiscal year 2012; $200 million for a public-private partnership of a vaccine manufacturing facility in support of the Administration’s new Medical Counter Measure Initiative; and $138 million to continue building DOD’s Institute of Infectious Disease at the new Interagency Biodefense Campus. This facility will be an important asset to help protect the Nation from public health threats like emerging infectious diseases and deliberate biological attacks.
• Enhances the Administration’s commitment to maintaining a reliable nuclear deterrent by increasing investments in the nuclear weapons complex and in weapon delivery technologies, and to nonproliferation by preventing the spread of nuclear materials around the world.
• Provides $500 million for DOD’s global military “train and equip” assistance programs.  In the past, DOD has used these programs to fund counterterrorism training in a variety of countries.
• Continues strong support for servicemembers and military families, providing $8.3 billion to support military families, including greater availability of affordable, high-quality child care and supporting quality education for military dependents. The Budget also includes funding for a 1.6 percent pay raise for military service members, as well as a variety of monthly special skill-based payments, enlistment and reenlistment bonuses, and other benefits.
• Supports access to medical care for over 9.6 million servicemembers, retirees, and their families. This includes ongoing support for wounded warrior transition units and centers of excellence in vision, hearing, traumatic brain injury, and other areas to continuously improve the care provided to wounded, ill, and injured servicemembers. Specifically:
  • $52.5 billion for the overall Military Health System, which includes construction of military hospitals and clinics, pay for military medical staff, as well as accrual contributions for future Medicare-eligible beneficiaries;
  • a projected $677 million to provide care for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and psychological health; and
  • $415 million for continued support of wounded, ill, and injured medical research, to include psychological health and TBI/Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. 

Improves the Way Federal Dollars are Spent

• Continues to improve defense acquisition policy, reducing its use of high-risk contracts related to time-and-materials and labor-hours.
• Achieves more efficient business operations and increases investment in high-priority areas by investing in unmanned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets; new ships; and the development of a new ground combat vehicle; the Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite; and the stealthy F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
• Saves over $13 billion by eliminating unneeded weapons systems that are experiencing significant development problems, unsustainable cost growth, or are not suited for today's security challenges. These include the Marine Corps Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV), the Army Surface Launched Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (SLAMRAAM) system, and the Navy's SM-2 Block IIIB surface-to-air missile. The capabilities that were to be provided by these niche systems will be largely met through the modernization and upgrade of existing systems at a fraction of the cost.

Invests in Innovation

• Invests $12.2 billion in long-term scientific and technological innovation to ensure that the Nation has access to the best defense systems available in the world.
• Modernizes weapons systems, providing $113 billion to ensure servicemembers have the modern, cost-effective tools they need to address current and emerging threats.
• Invests $2.3 billion in new and ongoing cybersecurity research and development and improvements to existing cybersecurity capabilities and $119 million to support full operational capability for U.S. Cyber Command, which was established in 2010 to direct the operation and defense of specific DOD information networks.