This is an interesting twist on an argument that the Air Force has been pursuing for some time on the need to cut its purchases of Joint Strike Fighters. The Air Force has settled on a number of about 1,100.

The crux of this issue is that the Marine force really isn't very well designed for the type of fight it's facing in Iraq.

The entire Marine force was designed around the concept of amphibious warfare, which is a good deal different from the kind of conflict they're fighting in Iraq today, hundreds of miles from the sea. The Marines are a light force; they kick in the door but they are not supposed to occupy all the rooms.

There are various funding models in force at the moment which differ across states. It's such a complex way in which to be funded and it needs to be simplified.

It's just to guarantee that we're not left blind against an enemy missile launch.

As the war in Iraq drags on, the Army is accumulating a collection of problems that cumulatively could call into question the viability of an all-volunteer force.