Commentary The weak performance of the Russian military in its invasion of Ukraine underscores that military effectiveness is dependent upon many factors such as maintenance and training, which, in turn, depend upon possessing a professional military that can accurately assess its own weaknesses and flaws. To do so requires honesty by the military organization in its evaluation of itself and what is reported to political leadership. When he sat for a portrait, Oliver Cromwell purportedly told the artist that he wanted to be painted “warts and all.” Like Cromwell, a professional military should provide its political leadership with an accurate assessment of its problems. It has been a hallmark of the professionalization of the U.S. military that has traditionally evaluated itself well. If it can continue to do so, it will provide the United States with a major advantage over China in the current security competition. It is an asymmetry …