2000 Presidential Election--Al Gore's Views on Defense.

• Position: Brief Article

On U.S. Global Leadership

"Forward engagement in the context of national defense means that our investments in America's military must be consistent with a future-oriented vision of what it will take to win on the information-age battlefield."

"We must use the surplus wisely, to invest now in people, technology and the reconfiguration of America's armed forces that will best prepare us for the national security threats in a global era."

Al Gore sees four key challenges in U.S. national security:

* Recruiting, training and retaining a professional all-volunteer force of the highest caliber.

* Taking full advantage of the U.S. technological edge by arming the nations troops with the most advanced weaponry and deploying the most sophisticated intelligence and information systems.

* Developing and implementing new military strategy, updating operational concepts, modernizing organizations and innovating systems--in short, transforming the armed forces to meet future challenges.

* Continuing to streamline and innovate in the Defense Department, producing more efficient management and releasing resources for critical defense needs.

On U.S. Military Intervention

"At the dawn of the 21st century, we need a foreign policy that addresses the classic security threats--and understands the new ones, as well. We need to pursue a policy of 'Forward Engagement'--addressing problems early in their development before they become crises, addressing them as close to the source of the problem as possible, and having the forces and resources to deal with those threats as soon after their emergence as possible."

Gore's criteria for U.S. military intervention:

* Is the mission in our national interest?

* Is military force the only option that can solve the problem?

* Have we exhausted all other options?

* Will military force solve the problem?

* Do we have allies who are ready to share the burden?

* Is the mission's cost proportionate to the objective we seek?

On Defense Spending

Al Gore promises to:

* Reward men and women in uniform with competitive pay, including a 3.7 percent across-the-board pay increase.

* Reform the military housing system.

* Improve family services.

* Invest in health care.

* Get soldiers off food stamps.

* $1.2 billion in new education money for veterans.

* Increase the investment in advanced hardware.

* Invest in the technology generation after next.

* Support a healthy industrial and technology base.

On Arms Control

"We believe that it...