John Boehner, March 28, 2003

You may know that my first vote as a Member of Congress was to authorize the use of military force to liberate Kuwait from the clutches of Saddam Hussein’s brutal regime in 1991. I remember, as I am sure many of you do, watching the first moments – and essentially every moment that followed - of the Persian Gulf War unfold right before our eyes on network and cable television. For the first time in history, as Americans and others around the world watched in awe, we witnessed our most high-tech weapons in action. Through the green glow of night-vision technology, we watched our Patriot missiles intercept Iraqi scuds, bombs hit their intended targets, and aircraft take off from air bases and carriers throughout the Middle East.

Before the Gulf War, most of our visual understanding of war came from history books and grainy video footage, and the difference between what we watched on CNN in 1991 and what we saw in those black-and-white World War II photos and films was simply astonishing. The weapons used in the Gulf War were the most advanced and most precise ever manufactured, and the relentless air assault and 100-hour ground campaign that ultimately drove Saddam’s forces from Kuwait was proof positive of this fact.

Twelve years later, our Armed Forces are leading a coalition to disarm Saddam Hussein and remove his brutal regime from power. And the media coverage of the war is even more extensive than it was in 1991. Today, we can watch the war as it unfolds – literally - on the ground, inside Iraqi borders. Much like we did twelve years ago, we are witnessing in real-time the extraordinary skills of our troops and the impressive precision and power of the weapons with which we will fight and win this war. The advancement in American military technology is nothing short of remarkable, seemingly light years ahead of a war that took place barely more than a decade ago.

For example, consider the unmanned aerial vehicles flying high over the skies of the Middle East – aircraft vital to our intelligence and communications capabilities. Believe it or not, these vehicles actually are controlled by officers halfway around the world, at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. We’re also utilizing scores of laser-guided "smart bombs" and Global Positioning System-enhanced missiles that place a direct hit on a target, decreasing collateral damage and civilian casualties. Moreover, our military increasingly is relying on special operations forces, especially as we continue to fight a global war on terrorism – a very different type of war than those fought throughout our nation’s history. In Iraq, many of these Special Forces are equipped with computers smaller than a laptop to assist them in accomplishing their missions in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Yet, in Afghanistan, many Special Forces personnel were equipped with saddles, as they rode horseback to help topple the Taliban regime after September 11th.

This last example involving Special Forces is truly at the heart of what today’s military – and the military of the future - is all about. In the 21st Century, with the Cold War ended and new War on Terrorism underway, our Armed Forces are being transformed to reflect new threats and new challenges. This transformation requires bold thinking, creative planning, and above all, a new attitude in how we approach military policy. Next week, I will share with you in greater detail what our Armed Forces, led by President Bush and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, are doing to transform our Armed Forces for the new realities of a new century. Make no mistake; our ultimate goals in battle remain the same. But the way we prepare our men and women to accomplish these goals requires something different. And that’s the challenge.

Congressman John Boehner represents the Eighth Congressional District of Ohio in the United States House of Representatives.