If you want to put it in perspective Reagan had to rebuild our devastated Armed Forces and we were also in an arms race with the Soviets.
Clinton had the benefit of “The Peace Dividend” by which he again drastically cut defense spending.
I am well aware that Carter had degraded the military and it had to be built up. My only beef is with expansion of non-military spending. I am also well aware that Reagan had to deal with a majority democrat congress. Reagan reached too many compromises with democrats on non-military spending expansion. Why he did not exercise his veto power more often? If the congress overrode his vetoes, that would not matter to me, because then Reagan did everything possible to limit expansion of government.