Military chiefs warn forced budget cuts undermine security

WASHINGTON - Less money means less military, the nation's armed forces chiefs told Congress on Wednesday.

The heads of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines explained -- again -- to the House Armed Services Committee that their services will be unable to meet their strategic responsibilities if forced budget cuts in coming years take effect as planned.

The forced cuts, known in Washington-speak as sequestration, affect the military and other discretionary government spending except for entitlement programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.

At Wednesday's hearing, the military chiefs all said sequestration cuts in coming years would leave their forces without the resources needed to fulfill the requirements of the Obama administration's strategic defense guidance for the military through 2020.

"These reductions will put at substantial risk our ability to conduct even one sustained major combat operation," Army Chief of Staff

Gen. Ray Odierno told the panel, adding that it was "imperative that Congress not implement the tool of sequestration."

Calling himself a realist, Odierno said the end result would be an 18% cut in total Army forces over seven years.