Rather than recruit and educate citizens, the Department of Defense is reduced to hiring foreigners, aliens, non-citizens to carry America's water. I would think that if America couldn't find enough American troops to protect America's interests, America ought to redefine America's role in the world.

The Bush Administration already farmed out much of America's military mission to private mercenaries. Now Gates seems to want to buy foreigners.

"Recruiters expect that the temporary immigrants will have more education, foreign language skills and professional expertise than many Americans who enlist, helping the military to fill shortages in medical care, language interpretation and field intelligence analysis."

This is like a starving family of 16 hiring a neighbor's kid to mow the lawn because none of families 14 kids want to do it.

Arf