The next president could decide whether to send American soldiers into combat or whether to launch nuclear weapons. Smaller decisions too could have an impact locally.
Ohio is home to some 63,500 military jobs, including more than 26,000 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the state's largest single site employer.
“The Ohio defense facilities alone contribute about $11 billion overall to the state of Ohio and each of these facilities is responsible for managing much more,” said U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton, and a House Armed Services Committee member. “So, our opportunity to grow our impact in this state is significant.”
Given the enormity of what hangs in the balance, this newspaper asked questions of each campaign about the candidates’ stances on issues such as whether spending limits known as “sequestration” imposed as part of the 2011 federal budget deal should be lifted and how the United States should fight cyber attacks.
The Clinton campaign delivered position statements while the Trump campaign responded to one question and directed us to research his previous public statements for the others. And both candidates responded to a wide range of questions, including on defense issues, that are available in our Voter's Guide posted online on our website.
Like the current president, Barack Obama, neither candidate has served in the military. Here is a summation of their comments and positions on key issues involving the nation’s defense.
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