This book explores the current debates surrounding "hollow forces" and the decrease in the defense budget following prolonged conflict. Leaders' strategic choices, which lead to decreasing resources, sometimes create the perception of hollow forces. The author uses the case study methodology to examine potential causal relationships. The case studies examined are the Korean War, following the Vietnam War, after the Cold War, and the present conflict. The author discovered that the lack of training and numbers led to a perception of a hollow force in those cases. In addition, the author determined the lack of technology did not lead to a perception of a hollow force. The author recommends not to use the term "hollow force" and focus instead on military readiness.