Military Officer - April 2006 - (Page 12)

yourviews “We have the potential to embark upon another great age if we can get our act together.” — Lt. Col. Thomas H. Koger, USMC-Ret. Guarding Accuracy [“Baghdad, USA,” February 2006] was well-written and informative, but it should be noted that the National Guard is also receiving pre-deployment training at sites other than Camp Shelby and Camp Atterbury. The 3rd Bn (TS)(CS/CSS), 311th Regiment and the Mobilization Assistance Team are performing in an excellent manner at Fort Dix, N.J. We need to also recognize these dedicated men and women for their efforts in preparing soldiers for deployment to Iraq. Maj. Joseph T. LoCasale, USA-Ret. via e-mail Editor’s note: We also must apologize for mislabeling the 412th Engineer Command, and for misidentifying a member of the command in a caption on page 56 of the February issue. Future Debate Ralph Peters raises many good points in this thought-provoking 12 MILITARY OFFICER APRIL 2006 article [“Our Brilliant, Bloody Future,” January 2006] and argues effectively against the unfounded and pessimistic notion that our country is in decline. However, I would like to note that unbridled optimism in the future engendered by a sense that the United States is destined to remain the dominant world power can be just as dangerous a notion. All of the reasons that Peters lists for the ascendancy of the United States to its current position of military and economic power are wellreasoned and valid. However, there are many threats that he does not address that are not easily countered by the strengths of our society. Dependency on petroleum is probably the most signiﬁcant, particularly given that the majority of known reserves lie in regions of the world that are outside of our borders and in regions that are politically unstable. Deterioration of our manufacturing base as corporations become more internationally based and move operations offshore in search of lower labor costs is another. Add to this an education system that is not keeping pace with the rate of change in society and a growing sense of complacency among the general population brought on by many years of increasing prosperity, which has created a self-indulgent population that is not inclined to sacriﬁce personal pleasures for a common good. I am afraid that I can’t quite agree that we are “at the beginning of a great age for the United States.” I would say, rather, that we have the potential to embark upon another great age if we can get our act together and craft effective, long-term solutions to the enormously difﬁcult challenges that we currently face. This will take collective will and courageous political leadership, which has, unfortunately, not been readily apparent in recent years. I would hate to be characterized as one of the pessimistic “diehards” Peters mentions in the ﬁrst sentence of his article, as I too still believe in the potential of the United States to meet the challenges of the future and continue to prosper. However, I am convinced that this is not necessarily our destiny. Hard work and sacriﬁce will be required, and not just by the men and women in uniform. Lt. Col. Thomas H. Koger, USMC-Ret. via e-mail “Our Brilliant, Bloody Future” … is one of the ﬁnest articles I’ve ever read in Military Ofﬁcer. It not only comments on the history of our present society and its major issues, but [also] what we might expect for the future. The article is incisive, provocative, and a bit terrifying — without being apocalyptic. One of Peters’ most telling comments was, “We must never again forget that the crucial relationship

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Military Officer - April 2006 Contents From the Editor President’s Page Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Lap of Luxury Magic Carpet of the Rails Blue Ridge Wonderland Salud, Santé, Cin Cin! Cover Story: Wounded Warriors On Duty MOAA Scholarship Donors MOAA Member Services Pages of History Information Exchange Member Books MOAA Calendar Advertising Index Sounding Taps Encore

Military Officer - April 2006

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