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Next Prez's To-Do: Fix Military

Budget woes aren't the only defense issue facing White House's next denizen

By Evann Gastaldo, Newser Staff

Posted Mar 31, 2008 3:39 PM CDT

(Newser) – Has President Bush done irreparable damage to our armed forces? Not necessarily, Phillip Carter and Fred Kaplan write in Slate, offering a to-do list for the next president to tackle as he or she begins the process of fixing a military "in strange shambles."

Overhaul the budget: "We don't have the money to stay this course."

Fix the Army: "Army recruiters face a serious challenge as long as signing up means getting assigned to Iraq."
Promote the right leaders: "Many creative officers leave the Army after realizing that it holds no future for them."
Spread the responsibilities: "Some senior Army officers would rather have 500 more Foreign Service officers than 5,000 more soldiers."
Pay for it: "If we want to continue the kind of military we're pursuing, and the kinds of wars we're fighting, then let's pass a surtax to pay for it. If we don't want to pay for it, then let's drop the whole idea."

Click the link below for the complete list.

United States Army Lt. Gen. David Petraeus, shown in this Oct. 8, 2004 file photo, "possesses a rare mix of leadership talent, soldierly prowess, intelligence, raw ambition, and luck" that the military... (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)

The Army needs to recruit more soldiers if we are going to fix the military, according to the authors' list. ((c) soldiersmediacenter)

Is it too late to fix our military? Not according to Slate's eight-item To Do list for the next president. ((c) soldiersmediacenter)

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Next Prez's To-Do: Fix Military

Budget woes aren't the only defense issue facing White House's next denizen

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'Sensitive' Military Gear Missing From Base

Soldiers on lockdown as Army investigates

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Poll: Air Force Losing Ground With Public

Army, Marines now ranked as more important

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New study increases concern over respiratory issues

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Liposuction seen as way to lose career-killing girth

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Next Prez's To-Do: Fix Military

Budget woes aren't the only defense issue facing White House's next denizen

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Iraq • War on Terror • military • Air Force • Navy • US Army • soldier • war cost

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

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More Newser Stories

'Sensitive' Military Gear Missing From Base

Soldiers on lockdown as Army investigates

US Wars Price Tag Nears $4T

Action in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan approaching cost of WWII: study

Poll: Air Force Losing Ground With Public

Army, Marines now ranked as more important

Breathing Trouble Dogs Middle East Vets

New study increases concern over respiratory issues

Military's Fat Limits Push Some Troops to Extremes

Liposuction seen as way to lose career-killing girth

About Us

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Newser By Users

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