That's true. Unlike Germany, Japan, and South Korea, those countries will never be our allies, nor do we have a sufficient national interest in those areas to maintain a multi decadal presence there.
After W took Iraq, we had a huge force there and should have used it to reduce Assad and the Iranians. Instead we put our tanks in garages and hunkered down under Islamic and Democrat attacks. We no longer have the forces there to topple the enemy regimes on the ground. How can we win in Syria when Assad and the Russians run the country and we’re just fighting insurgents? If ISIS comes back, go back in.