Monday, December 5, 2016

Is The U.S. Military The Best In The World?

Defense Secretary Ash Carter speaks at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, Calif., Dec. 3, 2016. DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley

Col. Gary Anderson, USMC (Ret.)/Thomas Ricks, Foreign Policy: Here’s why Ash Carter should stop saying we have the best military in the world

Ash Carter, the current secretary of defense, has been beginning his recent speeches with the statement that today’s American military is the best the world has ever seen.

That kind of chest beating breeds complacency. History is replete with civilian and military leaders who have made similar claims. The French king said something very similar before the debacle at Agincourt during the Hundred Years War. Numerous French ministers of war, including the infamous Andre Maginot, made similar claims in the 1920s and 30s prior to the humiliating French defeat at the hands of the Germans in 1940. The reality is that Carter currently has no idea how good or bad the American military really is. President-elect Donald Trump and James Mattis, his pick for secretary of defense, have a narrow window to judge how much, if anything, needs to be done at the Pentagon. If they wait too long, any problems will be theirs. Carter has done a good job of looking to the future, and he should be applauded for that. His “Third Offset” strategy is a good blueprint for 2025. But, what about today?

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WNU Editor: A sober warning.

1 comment:

B.Poster said...

This isn't materially different from what I've been trying to point out for years. So far team Trump has appeared to refrain from such ridiculous nonsense as Ash Carter and others have engaged in. Frankly the problems are likely far more severe than even the author of this article is willing to admit.

The first step is to drop the Pollyannish bullsh!t and admit there's a problem. This article is a "baby step" in the right direction. Hopefully team Trump can build on this and, in time, the United States can have a capable military.