The Strength of the Nation

Our Nation has been at war for more than six years following the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.

Our Army has been a leader in this war and in the liberation of 50 million people from tyranny and oppression. It has also been fully engaged in the difficult process of consolidating success by providing security and assistance in developing local security forces and governance capacity. Over time, these operations have expanded in scope and duration to stretch and, as a result, stress our all-volunteer force.

As we look to the future, national security experts are virtually unanimous in predicting that the next several decades will be ones of …