This issue brief is part of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security’s National Defense Strategy Project, outlining the priorities the Department of Defense should address in its next NDS.

Executive summary

The next National Defense Strategy (NDS) will likely continue to emphasize deterring great-power competition from escalating into conflict; accelerating the development and deployment of new technologies and capabilities; shifting resources from the United States’ military presence in Europe and the Middle East toward the Indo-Pacific; and strengthening the defense industrial base. However, the time has come for the NDS to give greater attention to another essential component of US military power: its human capital.

While effective diplomacy, exquisite sensor platforms, and advanced weapon systems are essential to deterrence, the men and women in uniform—and the Department of Defense (DoD) civilians who support them—remain the United States’ most enduring strategic advantage. They are highly capable and resilient, rigorously trained and well-educated, and operate within a decision-making structure where plans serve as starting points and a commander’s intent guides action.

The upcoming NDS must therefore elevate the “people” component of the US national security enterprise—integrating personnel challenges and opportunities more directly into the strategy and recognizing the robust capabilities of the people behind the platforms. Three specific priorities stand out in this regard: recruiting, service member resilience, and quality of life. While this list is by no means exhaustive, these issues demand urgent attention and investment if the current administration hopes to fulfill its promise of “peace through strength.”

Beth Foster is the former executive director of the Office of Force Resiliency at the US Department of Defense.

Alex Wagner is a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s GeoStrategy Initiative and former assistant secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.

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Image: Royal Marines from 47 Commando Raiding Group and elements of 40 Commando show their surfing skills and carry a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RIB) on Tregantle Beach during taining in February. Credit: LPhot Kevin Walton/UK MOD © Crown copyright 2025/Cover Images