When Reagan took office in 1981, we were still rebuilding our forces post-Vietnam. I was stationed in Germany at the time, and we were undermanned with old, worn out equipment. We spent as much time getting rid of substandard soldiers as we did training.
I left the Army shortly after Reagan was re-elected. I saw the great improvements in the quality of our soldiers, as well as equipment.
I served in the military from Carter to Clinton, and it was exactly as you wrote. We were demoralized and ill equipped during the Carter administration even though he signed some big pay raises. Pay isn’t everything. When you can’t get the parts you need to do your job, it’s frustrating.
That all changed when Reagan came in. It almost seemed like we started receiving new equipment overnight. Reagan also went after the druggies with a vengeance, and I think the quality of recruits generally improved. It was night and day compared to Democrat administrations.