THE GAP - AT 9:31 A.M. ET:  The North Korean test, Pakistan, and Iran, have placed national security front and center again, and dramatically so.  That calls attention to a growing gap in Washington - between those who've served and those who haven't.  I wrote about this at The Angel's Corner on Friday, and it got the biggest response of any piece I've done to date.  Gerald Seib of The Wall Street Journal gives us the sorry facts:

Certainly the number of Washington decision-makers with military experience continues to decline. In its profile of the Congress that convened at the beginning of the year, the Congressional Research Service notes that it continues a long-term slide in the number of lawmakers in Washington who have served in the military:

“In the 111th Congress there are 121 Members who have served in the military, five less than in the 110th Congress. The House has 96 veterans (including two Delegates); the Senate 25...

“The number of veterans in the 111th Congress reflects the trend of a steady decline in the number of Members who have served in the military. For example, there were 298 veterans (240 Representatives, 58 Senators) in the 96th Congress (1979-1981); and 398 veterans (329 Representatives, 69 Senators) in the 91st Congress (1969-1971).”

COMMENT:  It's not just the decline in numbers that's alarming, it's the change in tone.  In the Democratic Party there is a bloc that seems to have an open antagonism toward the military.  Many others in today's Washington appear to lack a "feel" for military affairs or strategic planning.

The threats today are as great as they've ever been.  We miss those who've actually felt the mud, the salt sea, and the sky.

May 25, 2009