“Last March, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told the military to stop being so publicly honest about the things it cannot do. Multiple stories about ground units that could not deploy, aircraft that could not fly, ships that were wearing out didn’t help. That type of public transparency no longer was encouraged. Whatever the reality was behind closed doors, the public message from then on, Mattis encouraged, was to be one of strength. But this has created problems for top military leaders as they prepare to testify before Congress to ask for more money.”
Source: Pentagon struggles to project strength and plead for money at the same time
