Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power

Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power by Rachel Madd

The draft and deployment of reserves but a check on the use of military in conflict. That along with the need for congress to declare war, made presidents reluctant to commit troops overseas. However, leave it to politicians to find end runs around it. Vietnam really got things going with a long running "non-war". Other have taken place all over the world. Government contractors have been brought in to do increasingly large amounts of the work. These private contractors have limited accountability, and often ended up costing much more, rather than saving money. 

The book is filled with anecdotes of badness to bolster the case. Were these the rule or the exception? There are also many parts tied together. What is the appropriate use of US power abroad? The desolation and civil war in former Yugoslavia ended up being a long deployment with limited clarity in mission. Should the US be helping out overseas? What countries are the best place to help? The book throws out a lot of stories, but is short on conclusions.