The Persian Gulf War took place when the United States was engaging in fundamental debates over the purpose of its military. The cold war with the Soviet Union, which had lasted for more than forty years and had helped define U.S. military and defense objectives, seemed all but over. Many analysts argued that the reduced Soviet threat eliminated the need for an extensive U.S. military. As of August 2, 1990, the U.S. Congress and the Pentagon had agreed to a five-year plan to reduce America's armed forces in the wake of U.S. budget deficits and the fading cold war. This "peace dividend" budget would cut annual military spending by 34 percent compared to the 1985 budget and reduce active U.S. military personnel by 24 percent between 1991 and 1996.

Ironically, August 2 was also the day Iraq's Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait...