Report: U.S. military ‘only marginally able’ to defend American interests

By Brian Seay

An extensive report released Thursday says the U.S. military is “only marginally able” to defend American interests.
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Washington D.C., released its annual ‘Index of Military Strength.’ The 432-page report says the U.S. military would struggle to fight in two major regional conflicts at the same time.
Now in its fourth year, the index looks at the power of the American military, the status of operating environments around the world, and threats to U.S. national interests. Save for the Middle East, the global operating environment is largely favorable, according to the report, but threats to U.S. interests are high.
The Heritage Foundation assessed the capability, capacity, and readiness of military power on a scale ranging from very weak, to weak, marginal, strong, and very strong. The Navy, Air Force and U.S. nuclear capabilities were rated as marginal, whereas the Army and Marine Corps were rated as weak.
The report says the Army is too small for the tasks it’s assigned, and its equipment continues to age. The Marine Corps is facing increased stress and poor aviation readiness, according to the report, factors that made it the only military service to drop from ‘marginal’ last year to

Source: Guns.com