A call to better equip ground troops.

• Author: Erwin, Sandra I.
• Position: DEFENSEINSIDER

The Defense Department has failed to pay adequate attention to improving the equipment and training for small infantry units, says a former commandant of the Army War College retired Maj. Gen. Robert H. Scales.

Army units still go to war with M2 .50 caliber machine guns, which were originally issued in 1921, and fly Vietnam-era Chinook helicopters. "Don't get me wrong, we're still the best ground force in the world. We're better than we were in my era. But we're not dominant," Scales said.

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Compared to the overwhelming superiority that the United States has in naval and air warfare, when it comes to ground combat, the American military "hasn't come as far as it should," says Scales. "It doesn't dominate in the tactical fight."

Turning a blind eye to this issue, from a national...