May 2, 2012 11:26AM 

# ‘Gutting’ Our Military 

By [Christopher A. Preble](https://www.cato.org/people/christopher-preble) 

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[According to](http://www.politico.com/politico44/2012/05/inhofe-bashes-obama-on-campaignrelated-trip-122210.html) Sen. Jim Inhofe (R‑OK): President Obama’s “trip to Afghanistan is an attempt to shore up his national security credentials, because he has spent the past three years gutting our military.”

You decide: [From National Defense (050) outlays](http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2013/assets/hist.pdf), in billions of constant 2012 dollars:

- 2009 — $696
- 2010 — $715
- 2011 — $716
- 2012 (projected) — $716

The chart below shows the full context of Inhofe’s remarks.

During the Reagan years (1981–1989), national defense outlays averaged $493 billion. George W. Bush averaged $543 billion. And the post-Cold War average, 1991–2012, is $522 billion per year.

![Media Name: 201205_blog_preble21.jpg](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/pubs_2x/public/wp-content/uploads/201205_blog_preble21.jpg?itok=-UtDkUo4) 

##### Related Tags 

[Defense and Foreign Policy](https://www.cato.org/defense-foreign-policy), [Department of Defense](https://www.cato.org/department-defense), [Downsizing Government](https://www.cato.org/downsizing-government) 

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