The Defense Department will continue to use its controversial Overseas Contingency Operations account to fund the $4.5 billion European Reassurance Initiative, despite a recommendation from the Government Accountability Office that the Pentagon move ERI spending into its more stable base budget. The ERI, now referred to as the European Deterrence Initiative, was established in 2014 to deter Russian military aggression in Eastern Europe after Russia's annexation of Crimea. "GAO recommends that DOD prioritize ERI posture initiatives against initiatives in its...
