Pershing's main strength was his self-confidence and determination to have things done his way. During the last 20 years a few serious historians in America have faulted him for not lending troops to the BEF during the German offensive in March 1918; another suggested that he deserved to have been relieved of command for the confusion in how the Meuse-Argonne offensive was being conducted and that the Armistice of November 11, 1918 was what saved his reputation as a combat commander. Even after training, which was provided during that war by the British and French, the only way an army truly learns to fight is by fighting. The combat record of the AEF is therefore a glass that was half-full or half-empty depending on how you look at it.

As for the production of weapons during wartime, contracts require require lead time. Manufacturers of heavy equipment or weapons can't be expected to ramp up production lines, recruit and train workforces and then be delivering finished products after six months. The U.S. armed forces were much better prepared in terms of having military contacts in place when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941.