Agreed that proportional response (I think that's what they called it) in 'nam was idiotic. The US was on the wrong side, supporting incompetent despots and landowners against what clearly was a peasant's revolt.

As far as shock and awe, I think the US is afraid that there might be a few tactical nukes behind all the bluster. It could be that the US thinks it could need what's in storage before it can be replaced - but that's nonsense as none of what's going to Ukraine would be of any use if things blow up with China. So I've no f'ing clue. I do think one or two more Patriot batteries, so the UAFs can protect their homes plus deny battlefield airspace wherever they decide to go.

All that said, yeah, it's in the US's interest to bleed Russia white. They've been assholes with the ex-Warsaw Pact nations since the breakup. They're also in demographic collapse and things like Bakhmut (and the nearly 1 million who left) will help that along. Pretty sure it's just the Russians who want the Ukrainians to do poorly.

I think the US military might be overjoyed with the Ukrainians. They got told to help the Afghanis protect their country - and it wasn't a country, just tribes. Of course it failed. Now, right after that, there's Ukraine. They have an actual country, are willing to fight for it, will actually use weapons they've been given. And they've got a president who's the American idea of Churchill. Guessing you're a Brit - and know that Churchill wasn't all that 'Churchillian' excepting WWII, particularly those dark couple of years. Sorry to ramble...