Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., told Newsmax on Wednesday the U.S. military is a capable fighting force if thrust into a war, but it is lacking proper replacements for those already in service.
"We've been at war for 20 years with the War on Terror, and so we still have the capability, but we don't have the replacements coming in," Mullin told "Carl Higbie FRONTLINE."
Mullin, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he is saddened when he hears top Pentagon officials such as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and others talk about how successful the military is in achieving diversity and equity goals instead of dealing with other pressing matters at hand given the threats of China and Russia to U.S. military dominance.
"You sit there and scratch your head," Mullin said. "You go, 'You know, China is like a major threat and we're going to have a choice coming up pretty quick when they decide they're going to invade Taiwan that we either defend Taiwan and be ready for an all-out war, or it's going to be the first time in mankind that transition of world power takes place without a conflict breaking out.'
"We can't allow to just stand by and let communist countries like China take over the world because they'll choke us out and literally starve us out and we will look like Venezuela 10 years from now."
A Pentagon study in 2020 revealed 77% of young Americans would not qualify for military service without a waiver because of drug use, being overweight, or having mental or physical problems. For those ineligible for one single reason, being overweight was the highest factor at 11%.
Mullin, a former collegiate wrestler and professional mixed martial artist, said he has two sons among his six children who will soon be going to college on wrestling scholarships. He was asked why so many other children don't have the same focus on physical fitness as his do.
"Sleeping in isn't an option in our family," Mullin said. "Either you're getting up and working out with me or getting up and working on the ranch. Those are really your two options. Wrestling wasn't an option either. Either you're going to wrestle and like it, or wrestle and don't like it. So, you really choose your attitude."
He said it also has a lot to do with public schools and the way they have de-emphasized physical education.
"We're teaching kids that they can be lazy," he said. "… This really isn't the Department of Defense's issue because we're sending our kids to them that way. We need to be raising our kids better and that starts at home."
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