Our army is widely renowned
As being the best one around.
  So foreign countries
  Training troops overseas
Ask our help when on uncertain ground.

We have sent many soldiers abroad
To help other armies which were flawed.
  We lend our expertise
  Hoping they can keep peace
In a way that the world can applaud.

One admits that these recent events
Do not make a great deal of sense.
  Spots where we once attacked
  We have suddenly come back
To help them build up better defense.

The thinking supporting this plan
Is difficult to understand.
  Why do we send troops
  In innocuous groups
To train soldiers upon foreign sand?

The reasons are blurry, at best.
Eastern Europe admires the West.
  And so they implore
  That we instruct their corps
In a fashion roughly NATO-esque.

"Partnership for Peace" is one plan's name,
Helping non-NATO members to gain.
  We give them lots of cash,
  In return all we ask
Is that they from aggression refrain.

Just for this, they reap largish rewards:
U.S. funding for training large hordes,
  Military advice,
  Tactics at a good price,
And the prestige which NATO accords.

It's a good deal for countries receiving,
This fact we have no trouble believing.
  The question we must ask
  While attending this task
Is what purpose are these acts achieving?

Do we want all foreign armies shown
How to fight just as good as our own?
  If we should come to war
  With troops we've taught before,
Our strategy just might be blown.

And besides, it's a plan with high cost.
Both hard cash and assurance are lost.
  We are building up arms,
  Thus large potential harms
Could arise from these countries we've bossed.

It's unwise to spend millions of dollars
To make other nations stand taller.
  It could happen quite swift
  That alliances shift
And we're all sweating under our collars.

So from now on let's vow to think twice,
Before giving free martial advice.
  The countries we assist
  May one day become pissed
And it isn't worth such a high price.