Is Falling Top Pentagon officials have asked Congress to increase spending on maintenance, training and recruiting, saying all the armed services have problems in these areas. Some experts say the lack of readiness is the worst it has been in 20 years.
Observers say readiness is down because there is a shortage of recruits and spare parts.
Also, good people are retiring early and training time has been reduced. The army has been forced to waive training requirements because of shortages of ammunition, rockets and grenades. Also, the readiness of fighter squadrons in the U.S. has fallen from 86 percent in 1992 to 75 percent last year. And because of frequent repairs, the average cost per flight hour of Marine Corps aircraft has soared nearly 50 percent in the past three years.