Shrinking U.S. Military Capacity Now For Capabilities Later Is A Mistake
Enemies are not scared of ghost fleets and expanding bone yards. What does send a message is multiple cranking production lines across the services — everything from ships and drones to munitions and aircraft.
ByMackenzie EaglenPublished17 hours ago
B-21The B-21 Raider was unveiled to the public at a ceremony December 2, 2022 in..Palmdale, Calif. Designed to operate in tomorrow's high-end threat environment, the B-21 will play a critical role in ensuring America's enduring airpower capability. (U.S. Air Force photo)
Year after year and bill after bill, Congress keeps telling the Pentagon to reduce near-term risk by maintaining capacity and to meet global combatant commander requirements. Yet one administration after the next continues to shrink and age the U.S. military. The result is now clear: The U.S. is left with fewer options to manage global events and keep simmering crises from bursting into full-blown conflicts.
Marines stuck on-base in Japan for lack of available ships were forced to skip a recent training exercise. After February’s devastating earthquake in Turkey, the commandant of the Marine Corps said he could not send help to a key NATO ally. Gen. David Berger had the Marines, the equipment, and the proper training for units. What the Marines didn’t have in the region was a ship, specifically an amphibious vehicle, for crisis response. The result, according to the commandant, is that combatant commanders “start to accept risk. Where they can’t get to something, they can’t deter something.”
Yet the gospel of “divest to invest” reigns supreme at the Pentagon.
https://www.19fortyfive.com/2023/05/stop-shrinking-us-military/
