But we are not as prepared as we ought to be. Many believe that even the Gulf War could not be fought today for lack of personnel, equipment, and preparedness. At the same time, our men and women in uniform are dispersed throughout the world in a seemingly endless stream of engagements that have no clearly-defined goals. Preparedness is down. Morale is down.
Recruitment is down.
Not since the 1930s has military spending been so low as a percentage of gross national product. At the same time, our forces have been committed more frequently than ever before as high as one deployment every nine weeks. President-elect George W. Bush is determined to change things, and Congress is behind him. The first purpose of our military is to prevent war. Its second purpose is to fight wars when prevention fails.