Amid of the World's Wars And Conflicts, Panetta's Budget War Is Now His Priority

ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta testifies before the House Armed Services Committee in Washington, D.C., Oct. 13, 2011. Panetta and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified on the welfare of the U.S. military 10 years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. DOD photo by Erin Kirk-Cuomo

Amid A World Of Threats, Panetta Laments Pending Budget Axe -- Stars and Stripes

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Leon Panetta reminded lawmakers Thursday that the military is battling terrorists worldwide, waging two overseas wars, monitoring Iran and China, and struggling with emerging cyberthreats.

And yet amid all that, the fight he’s most focused on is with budget cutters on Capitol Hill.

Testifying as part of a series of House hearings on lessons learned from 10 years at war, Panetta answered more questions on the future of the military than on the past, and focused most of his comments on the prospect of deep defense cuts from the current congressional budget review.

Read more ....

My Comment: Since 9/11, the money that the US military has received coupled with the dedication and loyalty of the men and women who serve has made it one of the most effective fighting forces in human history. Taking away much of this money will result in the reverse .... an issue that Panetta and many law makers know. But with trillion dollar deficits and uncontrollable spending continue .... options are few to non-existent to prevent this rollback.