The ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Michigan Sen. Carl Levin, who will take the committee helm in January, told reporters Monday that he is ready to take a “fresh look” at Robert Gates, the man the President has tapped to replace Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Levin did not vote for Gates 15 years ago when Gates came up for confirmation to head the Central Intelligence Agency. However, Levin said essentially that it’s a new day and that he wants to ensure Gates would provide independent assessments.
Amid a high-profile recruiting crisis, Air Force leaders and experts have increasingly noted the challenging long-term trends the service will face in enticing young Americans to sign up—decreasing eligibility to serve, less propensity to do so, and less familiarity with the military. But while those same leaders say there’s no “silver…