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House Armed Services Committee’s Republican majority staff issued a doom-and-gloom memo to Chairman Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) warning that potential cuts to the US military may make an all-volunteer force “unsustainable” and lead to the “return of the draft.” The memo, dated Sept. 22, states that the Defense Department already is prepared to take a $465 billion hit to its budget over the next 10 years; further reductions would be “irresponsible,” it asserts. “The Navy will likely mothball more than 60 ships . . . while we give up nearly a third of Army maneuver battalions and Air Force fighters, a quarter of our bombers, and jeopardize our ability to defend America against a nuclear attack,” reads the attached executive statement. The staff members also warn that future cuts could lead to “longer and more frequent deployments,” as well as “dramatically reduced” benefits for healthcare and retirement.
Three of four congressional committees with influence over defense policy have voted to change the official name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War—but final approval of the Pentagon rebrand is months away and not yet assured.