And Bush went to war with a military that had been thoroughly purged of experienced and capable officers by Clinton. After the initial walkover we didn’t do very well until the capable juniors percolated up through the ranks and gravitated toward battlefield command due to their talent. That’s what got us over the hump, not the surge, though that came at the right time and certainly helped. The surge would probably have availed us little had it been done much earlier.
That point is worth repeating. Thanks.
George Washington’s admonition that we be “at all times ready for war” has been ignored too long.