What? No tag? Even somebody with a life can have a tag.
Are you applying foe A+Bert's vacant position? I'd give this thread as a letter of recommendation.
Personally, don't think the force reductions were too great, the numbers now could have been plenty sufficient, if the political will to nip the coming adversaries in the bud was there after the first WTC bombing. Lack of political will, politicians without a competent international portfolio, and decimation of intelligence agencies human captial in favor of technological solutions caused most of these problems. IMHO.