Should we have waited two years to bring our forces up to where they should have been?

Yes. It is not a good idea to commit insufficient forces to tasks, ever. If you don't think the proof of that statement is in the headlines then I can't help you.

Picture the White House on Dec 8, 1941. President Roosevelt is getting a military situation briefing from his Chief of Staff, General Marshall.

FDR: We have to take immediate action to respond to this dastardly attack. General, what are our options?

GM: Well, sir, we can't do anything. We don't have enough troops. We don't have enough ships. We don't have enough planes, and the planes we do have a no match for the Japanese. Also, don't forget that memorandum we signed with the British to give the war against Germany priority."

FDR: What about the troops we started drafting in 1940?

GM: Sir, they're no where near enough and they don't have the equipment they need. Did you see those films from the giant 1941 Louisanna War Games? The men had to use wooden machine guns because we didn't have the real ones. They had to use trucks with signs declaring them as tanks because we didn't have enough real tanks."

FDR: You say our planes aren't good enough. Tell me more.

GM: Well, sir, based on the lessons we've been learning from British military experience, our planes are too slow and fly too low for modern combat operations. Most of our fighters lack sufficient range, armament, or armor to be effective. Based on what we're learning of the Japanese, our fighters' only hope of survival is to do a diving attack and then run like hell. If they try to turn with the Japanese, they'll be killed. The Navy fighters are no better and in fact, the Brewster Buffalo is a death trap. We also only have a handful of medium and heavy bombers. The Air Corps guys are convinced that they'll be able to fight through any fighter opposition but I'm not so sure. I suspect that we'll be needing long range escort fighters to give the bombers a chance of survival.

FDR: So, when will we be able to do something?

GM: Well, it'll take another year or two before we have sufficient forces to do anything. The troops and sailors we have will just have to try to survive until then. The troops in the Philippnes and the Marines on Wake Island are doomed. We may be able to mount some pinprick attack but that's about it.

Should FDR have waited until 1943 or later to begin combat operations because he didn't have enough forces? If so, he would've missed out on the decisive victory at Midway as well as the landings on Guadacanal and North Africa in 1942. Fortunately, FDR and the military leadership knew that you can't wait until the conditions are perfect before you act simply because they'll never be perfect. While you're trying to build up your own forces, the enemy will be doing the same. You go to war with the military you have, learn painful lessons at very high price, and try to improve as you go.