I'm Carl Azuz, hope your Tuesday is going well sofar.
First up, with U.S. combat troops out of Iraq andthe war in Afghanistan winding down, the U.S.government wants to shrink its military.
This could affect some of you who are planning to go into the U.S. Armed Forces.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says there are difficult decisions ahead, as the plan is to reducethe military to the size it was before World War II.
The government wants to cut costs and take advantage of modern military technology, butCongress has to approve the reduced budget, and some lawmakers may not be on board.
Since 9/11 the U.S. military has bulked up its resources, enabling it to wage wars inAfghanistan, Iraq and a global war on terror.
Now, in a carefully crafted plan announced Monday at the Pentagon, the military says it willscale back to force levels not seen since before World War II.
We must now adopt, innovate and make difficult decisions to ensure that our military remainsready and capable.
The details: the Army will reduce its forces from a high of 570,000 to around 450,000 troops.
The Marine Corps will cut its forces by 8,000.
Or about four percent.
And the elimination of the A-10 "Warthog" attack jet, which would save $3.5 billion over fiveyears.
Our recommendations favor a smaller and more capable force.
Putting a premium on rapidly deployable self-sustained platforms that can defeat moretechnologically advanced adversaries.
The cuts not only reflect a changing political climate, but also an evolution in how the militaryengages its enemies.
Case in point, cyber warfare and special operations will not be impacted.
If you're going to conduct counter terrorism operations, it relies more heavily on greatintelligence and great technology.
Critics argue fewer resources will leave the U.S. more vulnerable to attacks at home andabroad.
Hagel recognized these cuts do not come without uncertainty.
Our future force will assume additional risk in certain areas.
The Pentagon will present its plan to Congress next week.
In Washington, I'm Karin Caifa.