Military Downsizing: The Possible Fall of a Great Nation America is one of the most powerful nations in the world. Being a strong nation means having a strong military and economic apparatus. As you can see, the American economy is growing by leaps and bounds. However, the military is being downsized, and if we don't do something about it, it will continue to be downsized until we have an armed force that can no longer protect this great nation. This retrenchment will not only affect our ability to protect ourselves, but will also cause a substantial loss of economic strength and power abroad. Because downsizing the military reduces our power abroad, opens the United States to possible invasion, and damages our economy, the military must be maintained to ensure a strong and healthy nation both abroad and on the home front for many centuries to come. Military downsizing is increasing rapidly. This downsizing is mainly due to budget cuts. Since the peak of Korean war spending in 1953, military spending has declined in twenty-five of the last thirty-seven years. The recovery for Vietnam was brief and followed by an equivalent reduction. The Carter-Reagan hardening process was longer but smaller than that for Vietnam, and is currently followed by a new reduction process (Brauer 299). If history continues to repeat itself, the U.S. Army will continue to build up its forces and then hamper it with an even greater drawdown. As a result, the United States maintains a weaker and more vulnerable military. The military's inability to provide its men and women with sufficient transportation is also a problem caused by budget cuts. Many military trucks represent technology... middle of paper... they must always be ready for any unexpected event. Works Cited Brauer, Jurgen and Manas Chatterji, eds. Economic issues of disarmament. New York: New York University Press, 1993. Federation of American Scientists. Ed. Marco Corbin. “The Argument of New Threats.” February 2000. February 27, 2000. Hinkle, Jeffrey J. "Financing the New, Fixing the Old Is the Future of Tactical Trucks." National Defense 82 (1997-1998): 32-34. Kaminski, Paul G. “Building a Force Ready for the 21st Century.” Defense Issues 11 (1996): 1-4.Rosello, Lieutenant Colonel Victor M. "Predicting the Unpredictable." Military Review 75 (1994-1995): 127-129. Sandler, Todd and Keith Hartley, eds. Defense Economics. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995.