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Look I saw the change in the U.S. Navy under Carter. It did in fact improve somewhat. That is not defending the man that is a fact most sailors who served in the era from 1976-1980 know.

Now let's lets some numbers speak for themselves about how much Bush actullay did for our troops. The following is what is called End Troop Strengths or the allowed number of active duty in the armed forces and reserves. Do you really think things changed from the days of Clinton? Let's have a look see.

7 . National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (Enrolled as Agreed to or Passed by Both House and Senate)[H.R.1588.ENR]

SEC. 401. END STRENGTHS FOR ACTIVE FORCES.

The Armed Forces are authorized strengths for active duty personnel as of September 30, 2004, as follows:
(1) The Army, 482,400.
(2) The Navy, 373,800. currently Active Duty: 381,135
(3) The Marine Corps, 175,000.
(4) The Air Force, 359,300

Subtitle B--Reserve Forces

SEC. 411. END STRENGTHS FOR SELECTED RESERVE.

(a) IN GENERAL- The Armed Forces are authorized strengths for Selected Reserve personnel of the reserve components as of September 30, 2004, as follows:
(1) The Army National Guard of the United States, 350,000.
(2) The Army Reserve, 205,000.
(3) The Naval Reserve, 85,900.
(4) The Marine Corps Reserve, 39,600.
(5) The Air National Guard of the United States, 107,030.
(6) The Air Force Reserve, 75,800.
(7) The Coast Guard Reserve, 10,000.

SEC. 412. END STRENGTHS FOR RESERVES ON ACTIVE DUTY IN SUPPORT OF THE RESERVES.

Within the end strengths prescribed in section 411(a), the reserve components of the Armed Forces are authorized, as of September 30, 2004, the following number of Reserves to be serving on full-time active duty or full-time duty, in the case of members of the National Guard, for the purpose of organizing, administering, recruiting, instructing, or training the reserve components:

(1) The Army National Guard of the United States, 25,599.
(2) The Army Reserve, 14,374.
(3) The Naval Reserve, 14,384.
(4) The Marine Corps Reserve, 2,261.
(5) The Air National Guard of the United States, 12,191.
(6) The Air Force Reserve, 1,660.

SEC. 401. END STRENGTHS FOR ACTIVE FORCES.

The Armed Forces are authorized strengths for active duty personnel as of September 30, 2002, as follows:
(1) The Army, 480,000.
(2) The Navy, 376,000.
(3) The Marine Corps, 172,600.
(4) The Air Force, 358,800.
SEC. 411. END STRENGTHS FOR SELECTED RESERVE.

(a) IN GENERAL- The Armed Forces are authorized strengths for Selected Reserve personnel of the reserve components as of September 30, 2002, as follows:

(1) The Army National Guard of the United States, 350,000.
(2) The Army Reserve, 205,000.
(3) The Naval Reserve, 87,000.
(4) The Marine Corps Reserve, 39,558.
(5) The Air National Guard of the United States, 108,400.
(6) The Air Force Reserve, 74,700.
(7) The Coast Guard Reserve, 8,000.

End strengths for active forces (sec. 401) The House bill contained a provision (sec. 401) that would authorize end strengths for the active forces, as indicated in the table below: Service Fiscal year 1998-- Request Recommendation

Army 495,000 495,000
Navy 390,802 395,000
Marine Corps 174,000 174,000
Air Force 371,577 381,000
Total 1,431,379 1,445,000

The Senate amendment contained a provision (sec. 401) that would authorize active duty end strengths for fiscal year 1998, as shown below: Fiscal year-- 1997 authorization 1998 request 1998 recommendation

Army: 495,000 495,000 485,000
Navy: 407,318 390,802 390,802
Marine Corps: 174,000 174,000 174,000
Air Force: 381,000 371,577 371,577
The House recedes with an amendment that would authorize active duty end strengths for fiscal year 1998 as shown below: Fiscal year-- 1997 authorization 1998 request 1998 authorization

Army 495,000 495,000 495,000
Navy 407,318 390,802 390,802
Marine Corps 174,000 174,000 174,000
Air Force 381,100 371,577 371,577
Total 1,457,418 1,431,379 1,431,379

1998 authorization for end strength active duty

Army 495,000
Navy 390,802
Marines 174,000
Air Force 371,577

1998 authorization for end strength reserves

ARNG 366,516
USAR 208,000
USNR 94,294
USMCR 42,000
ANG 107,377
USAFR 73,431
USCGR 8000

Now let's look at 2008 actualluy May 2009 numbers which were set in 2007-2008. Army 548,000
Marine Corps 203,095
Navy 332,000
Air Force 323,000

Army Reserve 205,000
Marine Forces Reserve 40,000
Navy Reserve 67,000
Air National Guard 107,000
Air Force Reserve 67,000

Now I'll go back to 2008 and have a look see compared to 1998.

2008 first

Army 548,000
Navy 332,000
Marine Corps 203,095
Air Force 323,000

Now 1998

Army 495,000
Navy 390,802
Marine Corps 174,000
Air Force 371,577

Considering it all these numbers are pretty darn close to that of 1998 under Clinton now aren't they?

I have one more thing a link to a site that shows the status of the Navy from WW1-present. Have a look for yourself. I haven't been making this stuff up. Look at the source of my info. U.S. Navy Active Ship Force Levels, 1917-present Look at 2007 at the number of ships 279. The last time we were anywhere near that low was 1930. Our military is stretched too thin. A person can not support the troops and yet ignore just how thin they are stretched with no end in sight.

The help the so called adults were supposed to bring never happened. Our military did not in fact grow under W's tenure. The decline continued overall. 116 ships were decommissioned under Poppy not to be replaced and 88 were under Clinton. To get these figures you take the number the year after they were elected and go to the year after they left office. Junior cost us 37 more ships we could not afford to loose. How much lower will Zero take us?

My opinions don't mean near as much as what these figures say. My opinions don't say as much as the fact some on active duty are on 5th tours of Iraq. Thank goodness GWB, Clinton, nor Poppy were our POTUS in WW2 we woulds have lost it.