Budget cuts to the Pentagon

After consistently growing since 1998, the US military budget for 2013 will be about one percent smaller--about $525 billion. This is significant in that the military has been receiving large budget increases after the 9/11 attacks. The proposed budget involves cutting the size of the Army and Marines (though they will still be bigger than they were before US involvement in Afganistan and Iraq), reducing the amount of Air Force tactical squadrons, the Navy retiring seven old cruisers earlier than expected and cutting back production on other ships, and spending more on unmanned vehicles and Special Operations forces.

Still, the military budget cuts have been called a "rounding error" compared to total government spending. There will need to be further cuts as the Pentagon is trying to cut projected spending by $487 billion. The cuts can possibly be expanded by $600 billion depending on how things work out between the White House and Congress.

A defense analyst Thomas Donnelly said regarding relations between the President and Congress, "Either it will get worse for the Department of Defense if Obama gets reelected or Newt Gingrich gets elected, or it will get better for the Pentagon if Mitt Romney gets elected."

Defense Secretary Panetta said he will ask Congress to reduce retirement benefits and pay increases. President Obama has asked for less money to fund the military actions in the Middle East this year as the Iraq War closes.

I think that these budget cuts are a step in the right direction. The large budget of the US military is a vestige of the Cold War, and it is no longer necessary to be responsible for 45% of the world's military spending. As the US finally pulls out of Iraq, there are less excuses to keep spending up (unless the government comes up with evidence/"evidence" to get involved in other countries or the South China Sea). What are your ideas on this matter, AP folks?