After all, some say we do not need to join forces with other nations to keep the peace. By definition, U.N. peacekeeping operations share the risks and the financial burden internationally and often address conflicts before they become crises. Thus, they often cost the U.S. taxpayer less than bilateral assistance offered after a humanitarian catastrophe has occurred. That being said, the system of financing for peacekeeping is far from perfect, and is in desperate need of reform. In this regard, we are continuing to work with other nations to achieve a more equitable distribution of peacekeeping costs.
Peacekeeping reduces the risk to the U.S. military.
As of March lst, the U.S. was providing less than 3 percent of personnel for U.N. peacekeeping operations, with the balance of observers, police, and troops coming from over 80 nations. And most of the U.S. personnel deployed to these missions were civilian police. In fact, as of March lst, there were only 34 U.S. military personnel serving in U.N. peacekeeping missions. Compare this to the nearly 260,000 U.S. military personnel deployed around the world. By leaving the lion's share of operational responsibilities of peacekeeping to troops from other nations, we are reducing the cost and risk for our own military, while still working towards the same goal.