Hagel Outlines Bleak Future For Pentagon -- USA Today
The inability of Congress and the White House to agree on a budget deal would cause damaging cuts, Hagel said.
WASHINGTON -- Automatic budgets cuts will force the Pentagon to slash its ranks or trash its plans to buy new weapons, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced Wednesday.
The budget cuts known as sequestration forced the Pentagon to trim $46 billion from its budget this year and, if left in place, would require $500 billion in reductions over the next decade. Hagel laid out the Pentagon's view of austerity following a planning exercise called the Strategic Choices and Management Review.
The choice, Hagel said, is between troops and modern weapons. To preserve the U.S. edge in weapons, the Army would shrink to as few as 380,000 soldiers and the Marine Corps to 150,000 troops. There would also be fewer Navy aircraft carriers and Air Force bombers. Current plans envision an Army of 490,000 soldiers in coming years, and a Marine Corps of 182,000.
The Army hasn't been that small since before World War II when it had 267,767 soldiers.
Read more ....
More News On U.S. Defense Secretary Hagel's Outline For Future Pentagon Budgets
Statement on Strategic Choices and Management Review -- Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, Real Clear Defense
Pentagon Review Reveals Best, Worst Case, Hagel Says -- US Department of Defense
Hagel: Budget cuts could cause 3 aircraft carriers to be mothballed, shrink Army, Marine Corps -- Washington Post/AP
Hagel Outlines Bold, Painful Cuts to Army, Carriers, Pay, Benefits To Cope With Sequester -- Breaking Defense
Military contemplates how to trim its budget for sequester -- McClatchy News
Pentagon presents possible sequester cuts -- Washington Post
Pentagon Lays Out Ways to Slash Spending -- Wall Street Journal
Pay, benefits, troop reduction 'on the table' as Pentagon wrestles with budget cuts -- CNN
Hagel hacks away at HQ -- USA Today
Pentagon review protects weapons for now, but uncertainty abounds -- Reuters
Pentagon Warns of Tough Trade-offs as Budget Cuts Loom -- Voice of America
Hagel: Pentagon Must Choose Between People or Platforms -- Defense News
Hagel Gives Dire Assessment of Choices He Expects Cuts to Force on the Pentagon -- New York Times
Hagel to Reveal Sequester Review, Three Paths for Pentagon Future -- Defense One
Hagel's sequestration review points to few good choices -- Stars and Stripes
Hagel warns of dire consequences if budget deal isn't struck -- UPI
Hagel Sees Modernization Lull Versus Smaller U.S. Forces -- Bloomberg
Pentagon presents possible sequester cuts -- Washington Post
Hagel: Budget cuts could harm nation's defense -- AP
Pentagon Warns Of Tough Trade-Offs In Face Of Looming Cuts -- Reuters
Hagel: Smaller budget means smaller military -- Washington Times
Pentagon to Bear the Brunt of Upcoming Budget Cuts -- Real Clear Defense/AP
My Comment: The moth-balling of three carriers is what caught my eye .... but I suspect that this is just the tip of the iceberg.
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