Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said that the Army would be reduced over the next five years from 570,000 troops down to 490,000. Meanwhile the Marines will drop from 202,000 to 182,000. A totally of 100,000 troops being removed would put the armed forces just barely above pre 9-11 strength. The Air Force would be losing six of it's tactical fighter squadrons and be forced to retire 130 troop moving aircraft. Whilst the Navy is required to retire seven cruisers and a few other ships. The Pentagon would also buy fewer F-35 jets. The Navy will delay buying around a dozen ships. As for closing bases, which are unclear, but the Army would begin by pulling two of its four brigades out of permanent bases in Europe to bases in the United States, and would increase rotational deployments to the remaining bases so that more units would have an opportunity to train with NATO allies.
The proposed changes to pay raises and increased costs of the health care for vets and their families would not begin until 2015. Currently the Pentagon spends almost a third of it's budget, $181 billion a year, on salaries and benefits. There are severe worries over active duty and retired members facing what could be a large part of the proposed cuts. Healthcare costs, going up would directly hurt the pocket books of all involved, especially disabled retirees who may be unable to bring in other forms of income.
Even before the proposal was official, various members of Congress were already coming out against it. Michigan Senator Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was quoted as saying "I'm not going to be able to support" it. "These cuts reflect President Obama';s vision of an America that is weakened, not strengthened, by our men and women in uniform," said Howard P. McKeon of California, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.
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