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This whole topic is rather stupid. If you take a modern American fighting force and transplant them back in time with no supply lines, they aren't a modern American fighting force. Logistics are a key component of wartime strategy.

Two things:
I love this post, but past page 20 it tends to be overrun with posts of "How does this crap still survive?"  Would it be possible to cut the crap.  Maybe restart the topic will a pdf containing the major arguements to date?  something/anything!

second, was the small pox idea ever run to completion?  If not, here is my peice.
Think back to the conquering of the new world.  The indians were overrun by small pox because they hadn't ever been exposed to it.  And they even if they weren't the most high-tech sanitation society, they were certianly better than the Americans.  How?  Because they lived  with a much smaller population density. 
Also, I would debate the arguement that the romans would suffer far more than the americans.  There are documents cases of indian servants breaking pustules into food which was then fed to English men, TO NO EFFECT.  Because they had already been exposed, they could no longer contract it.  So the Romans, having been exposed to small pox before (no, it is not a plague for them.  it has already spread throughout the entire populous), would not suffer any noticable sickness.

First and formost the war potential for the United States is insane. As for the Abrahms running out of ammo, that will take a very long time. After all to quote Gen. Paton "A tank has two weapons; a main gun... and a cannon." After all the anti-infantry machine guns are a tanks best friend and the Abrahams has a top mounted machine gun, a coaxil machine gun, and for giggles a 120 smoothbore cannon. Not to mention the entire crew would at least be armed with a sidearm.

Secondly, as for Apaches being unable to engage the enemy due to range circumstances... do you have any idea how the Apache helicopters weapon system operates? Its a very precise weapon capable of very accurate shots and is frequently deployed to assist soldiers who are in close proxmity to enemy troops.

Furthermore an A10's ability to absorb small and medium arms fire, so arrows not withstanding, its full compliment of rockets, napalm, bombs and its 30mm GAU-8 Avenger Chaingun would easily decimate an entire company of enemy troops in seconds. After all it fires a sustained 4,200 RPMs and can place those shots in a tight 40' circle. Also, as a point of fact; cluster bombs haven't been outlawed yet and that has anti-ARMY potential.

Also a 50 Caliber Sniper Rifle not only can penetrate Level 8 ballistic glass, it also knocks a several inch deep hole in solid steel, blows entire limbs apart, it also has an effective and accurate range easily of 3 miles.

The Bradley IFV's primary weapon is a fully automatic 25mm ANTI-INFANTRY CANNON capable of sustained accurate fire against enemy targets. Easily decimating any horse mounted calvary charge.

If you were to observe the amount of ammunition we manufacture at any givin point, you'd realize that running out of ammo is only an issue if the enemy requires us to work without establishing forward supply depots. This won't be a problem considering the relative ease at which the Romans would be sweapt from the battlefield.

As for protecting our supply lines and forward bases; look up claymore mines, and bouncing bettys. Not having the knowledge or even the ability to detect buried landmines and munitions it would be a walking slaughter fest as they attempted any kind of night raid. Not to mention night vision and thermaloptics.

As for the ballista stratgey, you realize that a modern american howitzer can fire several miles with high acccuracy correct? With GPS targeting and precison guidance munitions there will be no place for the ballista to run or hide before what I could only imagine the romans dubbing 'whistleing death' descends upon their little heads.

And what about the ever so popular 40mm machine gun? Yes folks 40mm MACHINE GUN, in lamens' terms its a fully automatic GRENADE LAUNCHER. Up your Roman's shaft with that one. Lol.

I could keep going on and on about the modern militarys might in comparison to the Romans, but that would be pointless. And yes, if your wondering I have studied both modern and ancient warfare and weaponry.

Sooo... questions, comments?