The failure to increase the size of the U.S. ground force post 9-11 was a mistake – one that the president is now correcting with his call for a larger Army and Marine Corps. Similarly, British Defense Secretary Des Browne says that they too “will have to consider increasing the size of the army.” Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, American and British force levels have shrunk considerably. Today, for example, British Army strength is about 96,000, down from 156,500 in 1990.

(courtesy of the BBC)