the thing i don't understand as a 2006-2014 mil vet is where Trump and all these other dinguses keep implying the military is in the dumps right now cuz Obama. yeah, there was some downsizing and budget but nobody in the military would actually say they saw this impact at an individual level. still lots of useless bodies sitting around, still miles ahead of pretty much any military you might get to train with (or seeing the shitty reality of Ru military past the Syria propaganda). i mean okay yes i DO understand how they get away with saying this, because hardcore backwoods conservatives desperately want to believe lifting the ban on women in combat arms or transgenders or DODT seriously did anything (spoilers: there are still only a handful of women who have passed various combat arms programs and there is no evidence of lower standards; i highly doubt transgender people will be storming the gates to join the military; the only people who gave a shit about DODT were people not in the military, i can count on two fingers the number of people i met IN the military who were violently homophobic, we knew who the gay/lesbian folks were and nobody gives a shit).

i would go so far to say that qualitatively it is pound for pound the best its been since what i understand of the Reagan years. nothing but trust in the units i was in and like most Americans share a high degree of confidence in the mil institution to carry out its goals (as much as we vets like to complain about the small things).