U.S. Marines conduct a chemical, biological, and radiological environment weapons training exercise aboard the USS Kearsarge in the Mediterranean Sea, April 1, 2011. The Marines are assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Scott Pittman America In The Hands Of A Professional Military -- Jeff Shear, Miller-McCune
Four decades ago, the U.S. decided to both maintain a large professional standing military and end the draft. The predictions of those who studied the matter then largely have been borne out — and not for the better.
This is the first of a three-part look at the evolution of the American military.
Americans observe two anniversaries this year, neither one of them wanted. March marked eight years of combat in Iraq, and October, 10 years of fighting in Afghanistan. These are America’s “long wars,” a seemingly endless grind of combat.
These long wars invite comparison, and some recall the eight years of U.S. war in Vietnam, but there is a more compelling distinction. It was a conscript Army that flew its Hueys over the jungles of the Mekong Delta; it is an all-volunteer force that drives its Humvees along the Tigris and in the shattered urban landscape of Kabul.
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My Comment: A sobering view on the U.S. military today. Read it all.
Hat Tip: Small Wars Journal
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