About half of the Americans currently serving in the military service believe that they will be involved in large-scale military operations in the short term, linking the possibility of a war with the instability of the situation in the world as a whole and the “aggressive actions” of Russia and China in particular.
According to the survey conducted by the Military Times, about 46% of the participants believe that war is inevitable and will start next 2019. The number of US military who adhere to this opinion has increased by 5% compared with data from a similar study, which took place in September 2017.
At the same time, the same 50% of respondents believe that the United States will not be able to end a military conflict if it is unleashed during the same 2019.
Fears of the start of a large-scale armed conflict have increased against the backdrop of appeals by US President Donald Trump to raise the level of combat readiness of units and units of the United States armed forces.
For clarifying questions on countries that, in the opinion of the US military, pose a threat to the US national interests, Russia is in the first place (71% called it the main threat), followed by China with 69%.
It should be noted that this opinion is shared not only by soldiers and officers of the American army, but also by high-ranking generals. Thus, the commandant of the Marine Corps, General Robert Neller, speaking at the end of 2017 in front of his subordinates, stated that "the big battle is already on the horizon."
“I would like to be mistaken, but the war is approaching,” he added.
