MILITARY READINESS

September 2000
		Is the U.S. military properly prepared to provide for the national defense? Gore defense advisior Gordon Adams, retired U.S. Army Col. David Hackworth, former Defense Dept. official Lawrence Korb and former Asst. Secretary of Defense Stephen Hadley -- now a defense advisor to George W. Bush -- respond to your questions. REALAUDIO: Kwame Holman reports on Congressional hearings into the military readiness issue. (9/27/00)

Forum introduction Has the definition of readiness changed? How can we ensure the safety of military personnel? Are false readiness reports common? What enemy is the military allegedly unprepared to fight? What can be done to boost military morale? Is mandatory anthrax immunization causing morale to sink?     Sept. 14, 2000: Four experts discuss military readiness. Browse the NewsHour's full coverage of military issues     US Department of Defense

As the November presidential election approaches, GOP candidate George W. Bush and his running mate Dick Cheney have accused the Clinton/Gore administration of allowing a once-strong military to waste away from lack of resources. "No one questions that our military is strongest in the world," Bush said at a recent appearance before the American Legion. "But the best intentions and the highest morale are undermined by back-to-back deployments, poor pay, shortages of spare parts and equipment, and rapidly declining readiness." Democrat Al Gore defended the administration's record. "Our military is the strongest and the best in the entire world," he told a Veterans of Foreign Wars gathering last month. "And I will make sure our military continues to be the best-trained, best-equipped, best-led fighting force in the world." Spending on training and upkeep of the military services has risen from $50,000 per active member in 1992 to $60,000 per active member in the 2001 budget, an increase of 20 percent, according to Defense Department spokesman Ken Bacon. Republicans credit former presidents Reagan and Bush for creating a strong military but say the Clinton administration squandered that legacy by spending too much money replacing older weapons and too often sent soldiers abroad on questionable missions. Republicans say these policies have lowered military morale and weakened available weaponry. Is the US military ready to provide for the nation's defense? Are military budgets large enough? Or are they too large? Gore defense advisior Gordon Adams, retired U.S. Army Col. David Hackworth, former Defense Dept. official Lawrence Korb former Asst. Secretary of Defense Stephen Hadley -- now a defense advisor to George W. Bush -- respond to your questions.