U.S. Military Index

Foreign Policy and the Center for a New American Security have just published the results of a study of 3,400 military people. Although 72% of the respondents were 60 years of age or older and had been retired for 11 or more years, it is still a fascinating study covering a broad range of issues. Here are some of the highlights:

Health of the Force
60% said it was weaker than five, ten or fifteen years ago, although the morale is fairly high.
Unsurprisingly, 77% championed increased defense spending.
The Army and Marine Corps seem to be in the most trouble in their ability to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.
We don't take very good care of our veterans and their families, particularly those with mental problems.

Iraq War
As expected, they think poorly of the decisions made on the number of troops at the start of the war and the disbanding of of the Iraqi military. They do support the surge.
The war has stretched the military dangerously thin.
The country that has gained the most is Iran.
The Pentagon set unreasonable goals.
Almost half feel that our troops have had inadequate equipment.

Next War
We're really not ready for a major war, but might be ready for action in some hot spots, such as North Korea or Syria.

Torture
There is an almost equal split between those who believe and those who do not believe that waterboarding is torture.
A slight majority agree that torture is never acceptable.

Civil-Military Relations
Congress is held in very low regard with the military, as it is with we civilians.
Only a third thought that our elected leaders were informed about today's military.
Surprisingly, they would allow private security contractors quite a bit of leeway.

Filling the Ranks
78% think we can best meet recruiting goals by allowing legal permanent residents to obtain citizenship in exchange for serving.

Preparing the Military for the Future
To win the war on terror we must improve our intelligence.