Details emerging from the 2022 military budgeting process suggest that the United States will refocus from the Middle East towards China and other perceived emerging threats against America. Previewing the Sept. 1 House Armed Services Committee’s (HASC) markup of the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)—the annual congressional allotment to the Department of Defense and related agencies—HASC chair Adam Smith (D-Wash.) made government’s intended strategic shift explicit during a Brookings Institution webinar the day before. “Where [HASC ranking member] Mike Rogers [R-Ala.] and I are 100 percent in agreement that we need to transform our national security,” Smith said “We’re pivoting away from that direct-forward military engagement and combat zones—and that’s a fundamental shift.” Smith said his proposal has a long way to go, with more than 700 amendments being added and set to be considered since the 2022 NDAA was unveiled. But in its current stage, the bill contains …