BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Ever since Argentina's loss to Britain in the Falkland War in 1982, the armed forces have been in decline here, and President Carlos Menem has virtually eliminated any threat of a future military coup through a series of reforms since taking office in 1990.
The Menem government has cut military spending in half, reduced the armed forces to 20,000 troops from 100,000, retreated from unprofitable military enterprises and abolished mandatory military service in favor of a professional force.
As a result, the Argentine military, known for its violent coups and political ambition, has become an innocuous force in this society.
Almost everyone here agrees, albeit with slight trepidation, that a return to power by the military is highly unlikely.
"They no longer wield the power they had five or 10 years ago," said Martin Abregu, director of the Center for Legal and Social Studies, a human rights group here.
"They will not be able to use conscripts to carry out coups. They are no longer a danger to democracy because they lack the strength to exert pressure on the acting government."
Government officials here said the future role of the military in Argentina is most likely to be limited to guarding the 2,150-mile frontier, combating the growing threat of terrorism and taking part in international peacekeeping missions.
"We intend to professionalize the military, to give it a new look, a new role in our society," Defense Minister Oscar Hector Camilion said in a recent interview.
"It's a role that we are still defining but one that will show our citizens that the military can be a constructive force."
Mr. Menem has gone out of his way to keep top military brass happy during the dismantling of the armed forces establishment.
Realizing the risks of being too harsh on the military, Mr. Menem has granted broad pardons to senior military officers on trial for human rights abuses and to military personnel and civilians who took part in past uprisings.
In recent weeks, Mr. Menem has angered human rights groups by telling Argentines "not to look back" on the human rights abuses committed during the so-called "dirty war," the military junta's fight against leftists in the 1970s, and by praising the military's role.
"It was thanks to the presence of the armed forces that we fought and triumphed in that 'dirty war,' which took our community to the brink of collapse," said Mr. Menem, who himself was imprisoned for five years by the military. The president said his incarceration gave him "more authority than -- many to talk about this."
Horacio Jaunarena, a member of Congress and former defense minister under Mr. Menem's predecessor, Raul Alfonsin, thinks that Mr. Menem has gone too far in trying to placate the military leaders.
"By dismissing the human rights abuses as a thing of the past, Menem is trying to make up for what he can't give the military in increased funding," Mr. Jaunarena said.
"But to do this is a mistake, because this country is not yet ready to forget the past. We are still in the healing process."
Throughout its history, Argentina has been dominated by military governments with a record of human rights abuses, economic failure and humiliating defeat on the battlefield. The military has hand-picked 13 of the 22 presidents since 1943. In the "dirty war," 10,000 people were killed. Corruption was rife during the military governments, which grossly mismanaged the economy and misappropriated public funds.
But the Falkland War remains one of the most emotional events in Argentina's history and is considered the turning point in the armed forces' dominance over Argentine society.
In April 1982, Gen. Leopoldo Galtieri, the junta leader, seeking to increase his popularity eroded by a weak economy, invaded the Falklands and overran the small British garrison, which had been seized from Argentina by Britain in the 1830s. Ill-equipped and ill-trained, the Argentines were no match for the British counterattack.
Democracy returned to Argentina in 1983 with the election of Mr. Alfonsin, and former military leaders were tried and convicted of human rights violations. But the military attempted three coups during Mr. Alfonsin's tenure.
But now, military analysts say a return to power by the armed forces is doubtful because the social and economic conditions that led to past uprisings no longer exist. Marxist movements and guerrilla warfare are no longer a concern in Argentina, and Mr. Menem's government has been widely recognized for revitalizing the economy.
The Defense Ministry denied requests for interviews with senior military officers and with new recruits. Requests for interviews with heads of individual armed services were also denied. But people close to Argentina's military establishment said senior officers now realize that the armed services failed miserably in their past attempts to run the government and no longer have political designs.
While military leaders generally have welcomed the restructuring their forces, they have publicly opposed some of the more drastic changes, particularly the steep cuts in military spending as they are converting to a professional force.
The Defense Ministry said the budget for the armed services was $2.1 billion this year, or about half of what it was at its peak in 1983. Senior officers have complained bitterly that they need an increase in funds to buy badly needed equipment.
The officers also say they need more money to increase military wages, which are have not kept pace with other government salaries. Career officers earn about $1,300 a month, far below the salaries of comparable government officials. The salary issue has led to low morale and widespread moonlighting by military personnel.
Last month, senior military officers demanded a 50 percent pay raise, but Economy Minister Domingo Cavallo has insisted that there is no money to increase pay.
Some military leaders have said low pay will make it difficult to attract volunteers for the new professional services, which will // replace the current 20,000 conscripts beginning next year. But Defense Minister Camilion said a recent study by the military showed that there would be at least 10 applicants for each of the 26,000 openings.