The debate is heated. Among the questions to be resolved are: What kind of armed forces does America need in an era of peace? Where will the troops be stationed and the ships be based? How large an army does the United States of America need? What is the best mix of active duty and reserve forces? How much can our country afford to spend on national defense? Should active duty troops be used to help maintain local law and order? 1994 or 1794? Two hundred years ago, with the ink barely dry on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, our founding fathers sought solutions to these vexing problems in order to protect the fledgling republic from attack by enemies both foreign and domestic. Their ultimate success can now be measured over centuries. Soldier-scholar Dave R. Palmer's perceptive analysis of those tumultuous times shows that both the process that the founding fathers employed and the solutions they reached are just as relevant today as they were at the birth of our country.