Brian M Downing
One of government’s most important and sacred duties is protecting the nation from foreign threats. That’s accomplished by a strong military, domestic unity, and reliable allies. The Trump administration strode back into Washington determined to cut government and lower taxes. Tremendous economic growth, we’re told, will ensue and the US will once again be great.
The newcomers to the corridors of power may have a self-serving understanding of greatness and little understanding of world affairs. Their zeal and credulity are weakening America’s security – and at a pivotal point in history when China and Russia are challenging the West.
A few years ago our soldiers faced extended, onerous deployments in the Middle East, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. The strain was greatest on pilots and special forces. Many performed their duties ably then opted to leave the service, often under pressure from family members. Fortunately, only a few thousand troops are in the Middle East now. Training regimens and new weaponry have revitalized the military. Officers and NCOs have more combat experience than at anytime since the Vietnam era.
Trump is about to meddle with the armed forces as no predecessor has. He intends to fire many flag officers and replace them with men who share his vision of a new state – one that would’ve appalled Washington and Eisenhower, Lincoln and Reagan. This will end the historic autonomy of the officer corps and raise questions about the nation’s political direction and ability to fight wars. Rulers of S Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, and Russia built officer corps based on personal loyalties rather than professional merits. Their armies couldn’t perform well in battle, though they were more successful at internal repression.
Exacerbating tensions in the country between the races and between Red and Blue states will impact the armed forces. Recruitment from Blue states may decline if the military is seen as more dutiful to the reigning president than to oaths to the Constitution. The military has long been one of the most successfully integrated parts of the nation. Where else do such different people put in long days, endure mess hall fare, bunk in the same quarters, and go off to foreign countries? That’s in danger.
The zenith of American power and respect in the world came after victories in World War Two and the Cold War. Allies were essential in both. Boasts of controlling Greenland, Canada, the Panama Canal, and Gaza mystify longstanding European allies and recent ones in Gulf States. European leaders are dismayed by Trump’s erratic nature, authoritarian leanings, and apologetics toward Vladimir Putin.
American greatness cannot be restored by weakening the military, deepening internal antagonisms, and alienating allies from Brussels to Riyadh. Trump is bolstering confidence, in Beijing and Moscow and elsewhere, that America is irremediably divided, incoherently governed, and no longer able to fulfill its role in the world. Our generals know all this. They are important in the political process and widely respected in the public. They have to speak up.
©2025 Brian M Downing
Brian M Downing is a national security analyst who’s written for outlets across the political spectrum. He studied at Georgetown University and the University of Chicago, and did post-graduate work at Harvard’s Center for International Affairs. Thanks as ever to fellow Hoya Susan Ganosellis.