Don’t Rush to Gut Ground Forces

Don't Rush to Gut Ground Forces by Nathan Freier, AOL Defense.

… Wonder weapons and special operators are back in vogue. Land conflicts and the capabilities essential to their prosecution are passé again, as contemporary defense wisdom holds that future land wars will fall on the shoulders of foreign forces raised from scratch by American advisers. The new logic argues that direct U.S. defense responsibilities can be limited to containing China, coercing badly behaving rogues like Iran, and relentlessly hunting down the remnants of al Qaeda and its affiliates. If true, substantial savings are available through significant cuts to the Army and Marine Corps.

Frankly, the alternative view isn't getting a fair hearing. Some additional post-war ground force reductions may be inevitable. Nonetheless, renewed commitment to the same high-tech off-shore balancing strategy advocated at the start of the last administration and drastic ground force reductions associated with it may unnecessarily limit future U.S. military options…