The U.S. Military Index

In an exclusive new index, Foreign Policy and the Center for a New American Security surveyed more than 3,400 active and retired officers at the highest levels of command about the state of the U.S. military. They see a force stretched dangerously thin and a country ill-prepared for the next fight.

Today, the U.S. military is engaged in a campaign that is more demanding and intense than anything it has witnessed in a generation. Ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, now entering their fifth and seventh years respectively, have lasted longer than any U.S. military engagements of the past century, with the exception of Vietnam. More than 25,000 American servicemen and women have been wounded and over 4,000 killed. Additional deployments in the Balkans, on the Korean Peninsula, and elsewhere are putting further pressure on the military’s finite resources. And, at any time, U.S. forces could be called into action in one of the world’s many simmering hot spots—from Iran or Syria, to North Korea or the Taiwan Strait. Yet, even as the U.S. military is being asked to sustain an unprecedented pace of operations across the globe, many Americans continue to know shockingly little about the forces responsible for protecting them. Nearly 70 percent of Americans report that they have a high level of confidence in the military, yet fewer than 1 in 10 has ever served. Politicians often speak favorably about people in uniform, but less than one quarter of the U.S. Congress has donned a uniform. It is not clear whether the speeches and sound bites we hear from politicians and experts actually reflect the concerns of those who protect our nation.

SNIP: Read rest here, it's a long read and has a number of related links to the report

One statistic stands out in the opening paragraph: "Over 4000 killed", we somehow can't remember Afganistan: 491 KIA's and there are now 4012 in Iraq!And these are not counting the Suicides nor other War Related Deaths!

A Broken Military, Two Quagmires, Failed Foreign Policy, and an almost Destroyed National Security for the Hatreds enhanced have already shown the 'Blowback' retaliations will bring! Perpetual Guerilla War, Wealth for the War Profitteers!!

Building for Nonexistant Conventional Wars

Bush Administration Wastes Trillions in Worthless Weapons

The government has invested trillions in weapons that are completely useless in the fight against stateless terrorists.

Well we didn't Learn a damn thing from Vietnam, nor the Soviet/Afgan Debacle, and we ain't learning from the Present Failed Policies, More Blood Money for the War Profitteers as the Populace stays Silent!!