There has been a lot of talk in this country about government spending and how to cut it. Obviously, everyone won’t agree on what or even how much to cut.
Many people talk about cutting everything from education and entitlement programs to defense. There is no magical solution to our problem, but one thing this country doesn’t want is another 9/11. Some people have become complacent because it’s been a decade since the worst terrorist attack on our country’s soil. The terrorists are always plotting ways to attack us whether it’s through our airplanes or subways. They definitely target major metropolitan areas where there are skyscrapers and thousands of people in proximity to each other or important places like military bases.
It costs real money for the different agencies to investigate all the threats directed toward our country. Cutting defense spending by a lot really makes us vulnerable. I know the economy isn’t good right now, and that gives some people a reason to say government spending on defense needs to be lessened greatly. That’s the problem. If we decrease spending gradually where it makes sense, then I don’t have a problem with it. Taking away billions of dollars puts a bigger strain on the commanders and soldiers. Also, it can lead to unintended consequences like spreading ourselves too thin and not having enough help. We need a smart strategy if we are going to be fighting in a war. It just never made any sense to me to fight a war with as little money as possible.
Osama bin Laden was killed a few months ago in a late night raid, and since America killed an al-Qaida member, there will be even more retaliation plotted against this country. Our job is to thwart the attacks against this country, whether they are foreign or domestic, but it will be harder if a big chunk of the defense funds are taken away.
There have been some events that have raised the question of whether we can still protect our national security with much less money. A Chinook helicopter carrying members of the Navy SEAL Team 6 in Afghanistan was brought down by enemy fire. A loss like this should not be shrugged off but rather taken seriously when determining what programs will have some money taken away.
Also, when the debt deal was passed by Congress and signed by the president, there was a clause in it that said a bipartisan congressional super committee would have to find $1.5 trillion in cuts. If there is no agreement, then a trigger mechanism will come into effect which would force required spending cuts. Those spending cuts would include half from defense. This is something that doesn’t need to happen.  
Some people were against the debt deal because they realized the spending cuts wouldn’t happen until later years. Those people wanted big cuts and they wanted them this year. It’s hard anyway to cut a lot immediately, especially when the military wouldn’t get much notice on what it would and wouldn’t be getting due to the cuts. 
It doesn’t make any sense to put so much of our military operations on the chopping block. Some people want defense but they don’t want to pay for it. The attack on the Navy SEALS helicopter should wake some people up to the reality that defense is not cheap and certainly not free, especially when this country has so many interests to protect.
There are many people in our military who need the best equipment money can buy. Things are uncertain when they leave to go fight in a war. I thought one of our goals was to protect our freedoms and defend this country. 
Cutting the defense program, except to get rid of waste, will force us more into harm’s way than we already are. We don’t want to make our job of national security any more difficult.
Christopher Webb is a senior majoring in  business administration. He can be contacted at [email protected].