NATO's greatest need is not more spending on conventional militaries to repel a conventional invasion. Instead, it needs greater resources for promoting law and order, security, and intelligence capabilities. Whether it's facing the new threat of terrorism, or the old challenge of Russian encroachment, that is what the alliance needs most. Continuing to conceptualize NATO as ‘just' a military alliance for conventional deterrence, and then criticizing it for failing in that role, not only ignores the last twenty-five years of NATO history, but also the current and future threats NATO must face. NATO is no longer just a military alliance. It has grown to become a multinational security organization with roles ranging from counter-terrorism to peacekeeping to training and mentoring. Rather than reject this role, NATO must embrace it to continue successfully protecting Europe and America.

Declan Sullivan holds a Masters of Strategic Studies from the Australian National University and a Masters of Law from Texas Tech University. He has written for the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, the Journal of Biosecurity, Biosafety, and Biodefense Law, and the Strategy Bridge.