More than half of U.S. troops surveyed in a recent Military Times poll have an unfavorable opinion of President Obama and his two-terms leading the military as he prepares to leave the White House.
Just 36 percent said they approve of his job as commander in chief.
Obama has made a significant number of changes to the military during his eight years in office. Spending is down and the force is smaller than when he took office in 2009.
Equipment is also aging. In December, Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act, which included a 2.1 percent raise for service members – the biggest in five years.
Seventy-one percent of military members polled in the Military Times/Syracuse University's Institute for Veterans survey think military personnel should not have been decreased while 59 percent say his moves to withdraw combat troops from Iraq made America less safe.
They are also upset with his lack of focus on the biggest dangers facing America, with 64 percent saying China represents a significant threat to the country.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter defended Obama and praised the White House in his exit memo Jan. 5.
"As this Administration took office in early 2009, the country had just experienced another deadly year in Iraq and Afghanistan," he wrote. "The Department of Defense (DoD) was therefore necessarily focused on large-scale counterinsurgency operations to defeat extremist networks in those countries.
"In the years since, this Administration effectively adjusted its defense strategy, shifting from a focus on irregular warfare and counterterrorism to a return to full-spectrum combat readiness and directing a responsive and versatile military that can prevail across the full spectrum of operations."
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