USA Patriotism! ... "Showcasing Pride of America"USA Store! ... American / Patriotic themed gift products at USA Patriotism!

Home - Articles - USA's Birth - Great Patriots - Heroes - Honor Halls - Music - Photos
Poems - Quotes - Reference - Speeches - Stars for Troops - Stories - Student Patriots
Videos - New Content
- About - Contact - Submit - Press
- CureNow - Donate
- Privacy

Click Here To Google Search
 For USA Patriotism! Content
USA Patriotism! YouTube Channel Join / Like the USA Patriotism! Facebook pagePinterestLinkedInUSA Patriotism! Instagram ChannelUSA Patriotism! On TwitterUSA Patriotism! at Flickr

Patriotic Article
Military

Collectibles, apparel, and other gifts ... for Marines, Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, and veterans! Checks with USA, military, and other patriotic designs Free Gifts from The Bradford Exchange Online

Soldiers Carry 'Lion's Share' Of Nation's Commitments
by U.S. Army C. Todd Lopez
November 7, 2016

Telescoping flagpole with free American Flag

USA, military, and other patriotic themed pullover and button down Polo shirts

American Flag Western Boots

Tough Tex American Flags

U.S. military commitments are global because our interests and partners are global, said Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning during the opening of the 2016 Association of the U.S. Army Annual Meeting and Exposition on Oct. 3, 2016.

Since he moved from the Office of the Secretary of Defense to the Army in 2015, Fanning has visited more than 24 Army installations in 12 nations on four continents. Wherever he traveled, he said, he found Soldiers "laser-focused on our Army's most solemn mission: fighting and winning our Nation's wars."

October 3, 2016 - Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley and Sgt.Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey shake hands with Soldiers dressed in uniforms of previous conflicts during the opening ceremony of the Association of the U.S. Army Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Sean Kimmons, Air Force News Service)
October 3, 2016 - Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley and Sgt.Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey shake hands with Soldiers dressed in uniforms of previous conflicts during the opening ceremony of the Association of the U.S. Army Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Sean Kimmons, Air Force News Service)

In Iraq and Afghanistan, he observed that the missions in that part of the world are carried out predominantly by Soldiers.

"Whether in our mission to degrade and defeat ISIL, or in the support we provide Afghan partners against the Taliban, the Army carries the lion's share of our nation's commitment," he said.

"Fully 60 percent of U.S. forces in Iraq and 70 percent in Afghanistan are Army. A key takeaway for me is just how much we're asked to do, and how few fully understand all the Army brings to the joint fight."

Fanning called into question the notion that the United States spends too much on defense. "I'm often asked if we really need to spend as much as the next nine nation's combined," he said. "The answer is simple: yes, if you want us to do all that is asked of us."

The Army currently has well over 100,000 troops deployed in 140 nations, supporting commanders around the world.

"While other nations simply have to deny, we have to project," Fanning said. "While others have to jam, we have to penetrate. While they have to disrupt, we have to dominate. While other nations have to defend a small corner of the world, our commitments are global. ... And wherever America's interests are, our Army is there."

Fanning pointed to the past to illustrate the investment the Army makes in the conflicts that the United States becomes involved in.

"From the Revolutionary War onward, it has been the Army that bears the greatest share of our Nation's loss," he said. "It is Soldiers and their families who have carried the greatest burden from multiple, lengthy deployments in combat theaters."

If America wants an Army that will partner with allies in Europe to deter Russian aggression, support South Korea against the increasingly aggressive North Korea, support state and local C. Todd Lopezities, and undertake a host of other critical missions at home and around the world, Fanning said ... "You have to pay for it."

By U.S. Army C. Todd Lopez
Army News Service
Copyright 2016

Comment on this article

USA Gifts Store! ... over 1,000 American / Patriotic themed products at USA Patriotism! USA / Americana theme ... polo shirts, t-shirts, shorts, hats, caps, swimwear, sweatshirts, hoodies, hats, jackets, under garments, and other apparel items American Pride: Poems Honoring America and Her Patriots! by David G. Bancroft