President Obama, as commander in chief of the U.S. military, leads a force of 1.5 million active duty troops. That’s less than half the military’s post-World War II peak of 3.6 million during the Korean War in 1952.
The number of active duty service members has declined steadily since the end of the Vietnam War, which also saw an end to the draft and a transition to an all-volunteer force. This smaller force has been stretched thin by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Troops faced longer deployments and multiple tours of duty to compensate for fewer personnel.
Check out our video for more on the make-up of our military over the years. See “What Do Others Say?” for more perspective, then add to this discussion below. Do you think our current force is adequate to keep the country secure? What do you think about plans to further reduce troop numbers?
