The Impact Of Sequestration On U.S. Military Power

Department of Defense Annual Budget Authority, FY 1948-2016. (Measures in Billions of 2012 dollars)

Sequestration and What It Would Do to U.S. Military Power -- Peter W. Singer, Time

In recent months, concerns over sequestration and its impact on the U.S. military have reached a fever pitch in Washington.

Sequestration “would destroy the military” and cause an “inability to defend the nation” argued Senator John McCain, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services committee. “Cuts of this magnitude would be catastrophic to the military,” testified General Raymond Odierno, the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, to Congress. “From a pure national security perspective, the gap between the U.S. military and our closest rivals will collapse with sequestration,” wrote the Washington Times. And it would create a U.S. military akin to a “paper tiger…unable to keep up with potential adversaries.” said Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. “In effect, it invites aggression.”

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My Comment: This is a first part of a five part series that examines the impact of sequestration on U.S. military power. From what I have read so far .... this is a good summary on the challenges that America must face when it comes to smaller defense budgets in a world that is still dangerous and unstable.