Mara Karlin

Countdown: Improving Military Readiness for the 21st Century| Global Conference 2025

Susan Eisenhower, Joe Dunford, Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, Mara Karlin, Kevin Rudd, James Stavridis

Amidst a volatile global environment dominated by nuclear competition between the U.S., China, and Russia, American military leaders warn of critical readiness deficits stemming from budget stagnation, aging infrastructure, and a shrinking recruitment pool. While the U.S. retains a strategic advantage through its alliance network, the lack of direct crisis communication channels with Beijing and China's rapid modernization create urgent risks of miscalculation and escalation. Experts argue that restoring competitive advantage requires a substantive 3% to 5% real budget increase and a fundamental strategic shift from counter-terrorism to multi-domain great power conflict.