By Robert Burns
AP Military Writer
Friday, Sept. 24, 1999; 5:47 a.m. EDT

WASHINGTON –– George W. Bush's defense policy priorities are similar in many ways to those of the current administration. The Republican presidential candidate wants the military transformed into a more agile, mobile force, and he sees a growing threat to the American homeland from terrorists with weapons of mass destruction.

Where Bush differs with President Clinton's approach is mainly on the pace of military change and the extent of U.S. troop deployments on open-ended peacekeeping missions like Bosnia and Kosovo. The Texas governor said in a policy speech Thursday that if elected to the White House he would order an immediate review of overseas commitments, though not to NATO or in Asia.

"We will not be permanent peacekeepers, dividing warring parties," he said in an address to the Citadel military academy in Charleston, S.C. "This is not our strength or our calling."

Many of Bush's prescriptions for a healthier military are similar to those pursued by Clinton, including pay raises for troops and innovations to make U.S. forces more adaptable and easier to deploy on short notice. Bush would spend $5 billion more on pay raises over the next five years than the administration currently proposes, and he would commit an extra $20 billion over five years on research and development of next-generation weaponry.

Steven Kosiak, an analyst at the private Center for Strategic and Budget Assessments, said Bush's proposals were "positive," but raised questions about how he would pay the bill while also pushing large tax cuts.

In his speech, Bush did not say how much he would add to defense spending overall, but Condoleeza Rice, his top foreign policy adviser, told reporters that he would propose "significant increases" to the $270 billion now spent on defense.

Rice said Bush would not attempt to change the current policy on gays in the military, which allows homosexuals to serve as long as they don't acknowledge their sexual preference. He also supports the current policy on roles for women in the military, she said.

Richard Cheney, who served as defense secretary in Bush's father's administration, said the Texas governor's defense policy "is on the right track." He said the special emphasis on military research and development was particularly important for maintaining the American military's global dominance well into the 21st century.

Bush, who holds a large lead in the polls over all Republican and Democratic contenders, said the Clinton administration had weakened the nation's defenses by embarking on "vague, endless and aimless" missions abroad.

As president, Bush said, he would order a top-to-bottom review of the military – its structure, strategy and spending priorities – and give his secretary of defense a mandate: "Challenge the status quo and envision a new architecture of American defense for decades to come."

"At the earliest possible date" Bush said his administration would deploy anti-missile systems to protect not only U.S. troops abroad and allies but also to shield the U.S. homeland from "attack and blackmail." He did not spell out how extensive the national system would be, but aides said it would be more complete than Clinton envisions.

The Clinton administration plans to decide as early as June 2000 whether to deploy a limited national defense system.

Bush said he would have the United States withdraw from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with Russia if Moscow refused to accept amendments allowing the testing and deployment of a national missile defense. The Clinton administration is pressing Moscow to accept such changes and has said withdrawal from the treaty remains an option.

Bush said he would earmark at least 20 percent of the Pentagon's weapons procurement budget for programs that propel America "generations ahead" in military technology. He mentioned such possibilities as a "stealthy ship" packed with long-range missiles and unmanned aircraft capable of long-range missile strikes.

Bush said he would commit an extra $20 billion to defense research and development between 2001 and 2006. That would be in addition to the approximately $173 billion the Clinton administration has proposed over a similar period.