Alarmed Forces

A survey of US Military Officers indicates that fighting another major war is a no-go.
According to CNN,

• 88 percent believe the demands of the Iraq war have "stretched the U.S.
  military dangerously thin."
• On the other hand, 56 percent of the officers disagree that the war has "broken" the military.
• Eighty percent of officers believe it is unreasonable to expect the U.S. military to wage another major war successfully at present.

Other results of the survey:

• Officers call for more Special Operations Forces, improvements in intelligence, and better space and cyberwarfare capabilities for the military's fight in the war on terror.
• To improve recruitment efforts, nearly 80 percent back "expanding options for legal, foreign permanent residents of the United States to serve in exchange for U.S. citizenship."
• When asked if they agree or disagree with the statement "torture is never acceptable," 53 percent agreed and 44 percent disagreed.
• Officers have relatively low confidence in civilian institutions -- giving the presidency a 5.5 rating and Congress 2.7. The Defense Department received 5.6, the CIA 4.7, Department of Veterans Affairs 4.5, and State Department 4.1.
• "Sixty-six percent of the officers say they believe U.S. elected leaders are either somewhat or very uninformed about the military," the survey said.
• The survey found nearly nine in 10 officers "agree that, all other things being equal, the military will respect a president of the United States who has served in the military more than one who has not."