America's defense forces are dangerously depleted, unready

America's

defense forces are dangerously depleted, unready

Citing the dramatic

decline in America's armed services, the board of

directors of the 2.8 million-member American Legion May

12 approved the launching of a national security

awareness campaign. The campaign will focus on alerting

the voting public about the potentially catastrophic

results the U.S. will face from a weakened national

defense.

"America

is facing a security crisis, and most Americans do not

even know it," said Alan G. Lance, Sr., national

commander. "As Americans we must leave here today

with renewed dedication to getting the word out on the

need to strengthen our national defense. We must urge our

fellow citizens to consider this subject when they cast

their votes on Nov. 7."

The

commander stressed that although The American Legion is a

non-partisan organization, the issue of protecting the

country transcends all political boundaries.

"This

is not a partisan issue," he said. "It is an

American issue."

Statistics

that have spurred the American Legion into action include

the following figures:

-Nearly

20 percent of the total armed forces are deployed to some

134 overseas countries. The National Guard, which is

normally used in stateside contingencies, today has a

presence in more than 35 countries - with troops

provided from 44 different states.

-In

1987, there were 2.1 million uniformed U.S. military

members. Now, that number is less than 1.4 million with a

300 percent increase in military deployment around the

world.

-The

United States in this year's defense budget is spending

as much on defense as a percentage of its Gross Domestic

Product as it was spending on defense just prior to the

attack on Pearl Harbor.

"Our

country is on borrowed time," Lance said. "The

only way to restore our military to the readiness levels

we have enjoyed in years past is to vote for those

candidates who understand what kind of a fighting force

our country needs to protect our interests, both within

our borders and beyond."

Steve

Thomas

The

American Legion

Indianapolis,

Ind.

[With

nearly 15,000 posts, the American Legion is the nation's

largest veterans organization.] 18��