Revamped U.S. military budget cuts troops and benefits

The pensions and health plans will be reduced under Obama's new budget proposals for a revamped military. Withdrawal of troops from Iraq and many from Afghanistan means that fewer troops will be needed in future.


This does not mean that the U.S. will abandon its bases around the world but just that it will depend more on high-tech weapons and special forces. Having many boots on the ground trying to occupy a country is expensive both in dollars and politically.


Drones will no doubt be used even more both for attacks and surveillance. Drones are almost costless politically since they do not result in loss of U.S. lives except the odd U.S. citizen turned suspected terrorist.


Even with reductions the U.S. will spend far more than any other country. In fact the U.S. will continue to spend as much almost as the rest of the world altogether. As Obama put it:"Yes, our military will be leaner, but the world must know that the United States will maintain its military superiority," The Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta also noted that certain areas of the defense budget will actually increase:"As we reduce the overall defense budget, we will protect and in some cases increase our investments in special operation forces in new technologies, like . . . unmanned systems, in space and in particular in cyberspace,"


Panetta also squelched the rumour that the U.S. will no longer be ready to fight more than one war at a time. Panetta claimed that the U.S. will still be able to fight multiple wars at one time and will be ready to deploy to any country at any time. He stressed that as the power constellation ranged against the U.S. changes so will military deployment. Panetta mentioned south-east Asia specifically. For more details see this article.