Reading Mark Mendiola's Article, America's Shocking Military Decline (2000)

The fourth issue of LCG's recruitment magazine, Tomorrow's World (January-February 2000), featured an article by Mark Mendiola entitled "America's Shocking Military Decline." (pp. 16-20.) This was the fourth of several articles Mendiola would write for this recruitment magazine. Here he exploits problems within the American military during the Kosovo War (1998-9) to insist that the US military was falling apart. He had no idea of what would soon happen starting on 9/11.

Let's take a look.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s relentless bombing of Serbian military forces and strategic targets in the Balkans, during an air war that lasted 78 days last March to June, exposed how badly recent defense cuts have limited United States military might. It also drove home to the Europeans the urgent need to beef up their own military expenditures to protect their national interests. ... 

The United States continues to downsize its armed forces, but European nations appear to be on the verge of a significant military buildup, which does not bode well for America or Britain. As "the American Century" comes to a conclusion, many experts see the rise of a Europe much more powerful economically, politically and militarily in the 21st century —a superpower that will be able to challenge the U.S. on various fronts in its own right as a modern empire.

This was written in 1999. Eighteen yeas has now passed and Europe still has not arisen as a military force capable of conquering the United States. This prophecy has failed miserably. Clearly God is not with Mark Mendiola or LCG.

During the bombing of Kosovo, the Air Force banned all pilots, navigators and support crews from leaving the service, affecting about 6,000 Air Force personnel who already had approval to retire and return to civilian life.

He had no idea that in less than two years American soldiers would go to war in Afghanistan and later in Iraq. Clearly LCG cannot see the future.

Critics of cuts in American defense spending have said the U.S. is no longer capable of launching another Desert Storm operation such as the one initiated nine years ago by President George Bush against Iraq’s Saddam Hussein. There are doubts the nation could even repeat the Kosovo campaign! 

What an absurd claim. That Mendiola and the editors of LCG's recruitment magazine thought that claim was worth mentioning shows they did not know what was going on. They do not know what will happen. They are as surprised by world events as any of us.

The Clinton administration and Congress have slashed the nation’s military personnel by about 35 percent since 1991, cut the money needed to train those remaining and reduced equipment purchases. Depleted, untrained crews in all branches of the military have resulted.

Considering that tensions had eased with the Soviet Union it was perfectly reasonable that some would call for a reallocation of public resources since the major threat to the United States was now no longer so pressing. Little did Mendiola know that circumstances would change so soon.

USA Today on October 22, 1999, reported that military recruiting costs per new enlistee hit an all-time high in 1999, even as the Army fell short of its goal by 6,300 soldiers and the Air Force missed its goal by 1,700 people. The Navy also needs an extra 22,000 sailors, who are difficult to recruit as high school graduates find lucrative employment in the booming U.S. economy.

So often the COGs insist to anyone who would listen that the US economy would soon collapse. They did not foresee that in the late 1990s the economy would be "booming."

In August of 1999, retired Gen. Gordon R. Sullivan, a former chief of staff for the Army, warned in a letter to members of the Association of the United States Army that the Defense Department needs an immediate investment of $90 billion for new equipment to maintain U.S. combat readiness. But the chances of that amount getting appropriated is slim, as an increasingly isolationist nation prefers to spend its surpluses on domestic programs. 

Should Mendiola really be surprised that the US government would reallocate resources once the Cold War had ended? That means more money for the civilian population like Mendiola. But he still complains.

The COGs have a long history of demonizing Germany since they teach that Germany is destined to lead Europe in conquering the United States in the near future. Mendiola continues that practice in this article.

[New York Times columnist Roger] Cohen noted that German leader Gerhard Schroeder, nicknamed the "Kriegskanzler" or war chancellor, committed 8,000 German troops for deployment in post-war Kosovo, the second- largest contingent after Britain. In fact, troops in Kosovo from the four major European Union countries will total about 33,000, eclipsing the planned American unit of 7,000 troops. Since the end of the Cold War, U.S. troops stationed in Europe have dropped by 200,000 to 100,000 or 66 percent! 

Seventeen years later the possibility of Germany conquering the United States remains as distant as ever.

Even though the United States back in 2000 and at present has the most powerful military force that humanity has ever beheld Mendiola ludicrously imagines that the United States just might find "itself virtually defenseless against the growing threat from ballistic missiles." What a joke.

This worst case scenario is not beyond the realm of possibility, as the U.S. finds itself virtually defenseless against the growing threat from ballistic missiles. Antagonistic nations like North Korea and Iran are likely to join Russia and China as long-range missile threats to the United States over the next 15 years, the Central Intelligence Agency reported recently. These emerging missile forces "potentially can kill tens of thousands, or even millions, of Americans, depending on the type of warhead, the accuracy and the intended target," the CIA said, noting Iraq also posed a more distant threat.

Mendiola cited this source to say that Iraq "posed a more distant threat" compared with those other nations. Clearly he had no idea that just three years later the United States would go to war in Iraq and overthrow the Saddam Hussein regime. Seventeen years later there has been no war against any of the other nations mentioned above.

Western Europe’s arsenal of ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads also could be easily aimed at the United States. ... The implications of the shocking decline in U.S. military power are absolutely frightening, but there is wonderful news beyond the unprecedented trouble looming for the U.S. and Britain!

Seventeen years later and Europe has made no attempt to take American nuclear weapons stationed in Europe.  The idea of Germany leading a European Empire to conquer the United States remains as bizarre and absurd as it was back in 2000. LCG are but false prophets. There is no need to fear their dire proclamations.

In September 2006 Mendiola left LCG and joined Dave Pack's Restored Church of God. Around 2008 he left RCG and joined Don Billingsley's Church of God-Faithful Flock.