By contrast, Donald Trump has laid out a comprehensive, detailed, and forward-looking vision for the future of the American military. It is predicated on "peace through strength" and a sober appraisal of US national interests. Mr. Trump understands that, without a revitalized and strengthened military, the ability to shape events globally to our advantage is substantially diminished. He understands the crisis our military is facing, both now and long-term if current trends persist, and has vowed at nearly every campaign stop to make rebuilding our military a national project.
The facts are clear and disturbing. Under the Obama administration, the Navy has shrunk to its smallest size since World War I. The Army is the smallest it has been since before World War II. The Air Force is the smallest in its history, and its aircraft are the oldest. Readiness levels across the services are the worst in a generation, with pilots facing significantly reduced cockpit time and deferring critical maintenance, Navy ships and crews deploying as long as 10 months, and Army units are deferring critical training before deployments. The horror story of naval aviators taking spare aircraft parts from museums to keep their planes flying is simply unacceptable for those who wear our nation’s uniform.