While the aforementioned scandals made bold headlines, Clinton's most significant failings as President concerned less publicized but far more ominous matters of national security. Clinton's loathing of the American military led to his failure in his primary responsibility: the protection of the American people. His actions with regard to military preparedness speak for themselves. In less than three years, deployments increased while manpower decreased from 2.1 million to 1.6 million. That decrease was the foundation upon which stood Al Gore's purported "reinvention" of government. Of the 305,000 employees removed from the federal payroll, 286,000 (or 90%) were military cuts.The statistics for America's defense during the Clinton years reveal the deep-seated animosity of the administration toward those who served in the military. The Army was cut from 18 divisions to 12. The Navy was reduced from 546 ships to 380. Air Force flight squadrons were cut from 76 to 50.
While the U.S. military was used as a 'meals on wheels' service by the Clinton administration in its nation building adventures, the military had its own humanitarian crises at home on its own bases. The pay freeze instituted by Clinton was imposed on a military in which 80 percent of all troops earned $30,000 per year or less. Food stamp applications soared and re-enlistment rates dropped.
In May 1996, Lt. Col. Robert Patterson was appointed Senior Military Aide to President Clinton, a role which required him to accompany Clinton at all times and carry (handcuffed to his wrist) what is known colloquially as the "nuclear football" - a black bag which contains the top-secret codes needed in case of nuclear war. Patterson fulfilled this role from 1996 to 1998. In addition, he was the operational commander for all military units assigned to the White House, including Air Force One, Marine One, Camp David, White House Transportation Agency and White House Mess. In his book Dereliction of Duty, Patterson writes that "[d]amn near all" of his military associates viewed the administration's military policies as "open-ended" and "rudderless."
As the carrier of the nuclear football, Patterson was astounded that Clinton repeatedly said on the campaign trail no American children would have to go to sleep with nuclear missiles pointed at them. Such a statement was patently untrue. Conversations he overheard in the car transporting the President most often did not revolve around foreign policy issues but subpoenas, lawyers, and executive privilege. The Clintonites had priorities, and national security was not one of them.
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