Just don't train those "friendlies" too well, because odds are, they'll be shooting at us in the near future. Teach them just enough to think they know what they are doing, but not enough to really be dangerous. :)
Actually, these are countries we sell multi-million dollar hardware to (or seriously thinking about it). We're teaching them how to use it. Some are bona fide allies, while others we hope to nudge in the friendlier direction by spending time with their senior officers. One of the trips was as simple as a seminar on professional education followed by a couple hours of PT.
The USA has a spectacular record of FAILURE after FAILURE after FAILURE when it comes to training and equipping dubious "allies." (Lets face it, most of these clowns are "allies" only because we send them a big US Taxpayer funded check- they'd slit their own mother's throat for $10 American).
Whether the South Vietnamese Army (which every soldier knew would collapse as soon as it met halfway serious opposition- and it did), Iran (they are still using the stuff we gave them 40 years ago), Iraq (we spent 10 years training, paying, and equipping them, and they folded up like a cheap suit and ran away, abandoning all that expensive US Taxpayer funded equipment, with barely a shot fired, as soon as a rag tag militia (ISIS) took a few shots at them).
Most Americans are blissfully unaware of how many cut throats, tyrants, dictators, thieves, and assholes the American government/military is propping up with weapons and training (they don't care, because "American Idol" is on at 8).
It's tragic that young Americans often join the military for the best of reasons, thinking they are "defending America" or "defending Freedom" or similar, when they almost never do either. They end up fighting stupid political wars for the sake of defense contractors, politicians, Israel, etc.
At least when I first went into the military ('81), we had the (admittedly overblown) "threat" of the Warsaw Pact, but now, there is no real threat to the USA in a conventional military sense, nor has there been for 25 years. Our "leaders" have to make up Bull Shit enemies and "threats" to America, just to keep those dollars flowing into the military-industrial complex.
All that money blown on "Defense" against essentially powerless enemies could have been used to strengthen our economy- and we wonder why the Swiss and Norwegians and others, who used to be below us, are now kicking our economic ass- because they don't blow their wealth fighting an endless series of pointless wars.
I'm starting to sound like a peace-nik, when I am not. But I get so annoyed at the colossal waste involved in our military and the stupid wars they are sent to.
Here's an idea. Cut the US Military by 50% TOMORROW, it will still be far and away the most powerful military in the world, an no nation in the world would be a "threat" to us. Cut out just a few of the pointless deployments (Iraq and Afghanistan would be a good start). Turn the USA into a Republic, rather than an Empire.
End of rant.
