Opinion

Read the numbers on military strength

Posted November 27, 2017 12:00 am

President Donald Trump and leaders in the GOP accuse President Obama of degrading the military. Are they correct?

Let's take a look at the military at the end of 2016. The U.S. had 2.4 million active military personnel and another one million in the Reserve and National Guard. In the air we had 2,300 fighter aircraft and 2,800 attack aircraft. At sea we had 60 destroyers, eight frigates, 19 carriers and 70 subs. On the ground we had 6,000 combat tanks and 4,100 armored vehicles. We had personnel stationed in 170 countries and 800 bases in foreign countries.

The U.S. also spends more on the military than the next seven industrial countries combined and the total defense spending for 2016 was $814 billion.

It sounds like more partisan nonsense from the GOP.

Victor Darst

Huntley

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