Owatonna, MN Correspondent-There is a correlating reason the American military has been downgraded (assuming downgraded means reduced in size). We are no longer fully engaged in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which was the primary reason for the buildup in the early 2000s. The number of troops and weapons available should ebb and flow based on the defense needs of the US. To arbitrarily decide we need X thousands of troops, or a certain number of planes, warships, or missiles, implies those resources will be used and not sit idle in bases or hangers or navy ports. Continue reading →