@jones
“The 200-ton gorilla in the room is that with the wars winding down, the military
budget SHOULD be decreased.”

How very accurate.
IF - the wars were winding down. 
They will wind down only in re-election rhetoric.

“This “Defense Strategic Review” sounds nearly identical to the findings and reforms of Donald Rumsfeld’s Defense Department”

Ah yes. The man himself, the prophet.

http://michaelfury.wordpress.com/2011/02/07/unknown-knowns/

Purely a campaign stunt, slowing the growth is not cutting.  This reminds me of his victory lap for “ending” the Iraq atrocity when he failed to get the Iraqis to change their mind about endless unaccountable occupation.

This “Defense Strategic Review” sounds nearly identical to the findings and reforms of Donald Rumsfeld’s Defense Department (revisit President Bush’s 2001 statements regarding his decision to hire Donald Rumsfeld). 

After the last Defense Strategic Review Sec. Def. Rumsfeld called for smaller, faster, agile forces supported by smaller, cheaper, drones and “smart” explosive vehicles.  All of this, according to Rumsfeld, would lead to a greatly reduced ‘footprint’ around the world. - Rumsfeld was almost certainly attempting to prove such could be successful in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Interesting how these Rumsfeld reforms in 21st century warfare are being publicly rolled out just as Mr. Obama begins his re-election campaign.  Or, as the President campaigned today, “Turning the page on a decade of war”. - It’s a smart, albeit cynical, political strategy.  People such as gerard, leefeller, kerry and Shenon will believe this to be a spark of the Obama Enlightenment they sought three years ago.  They will surmise that military spending cuts are in their near future.  All thanks to the politically savvy, rhetorically gifted, messiah.

I’ll say this for Rumsfeld.  He stood up to the generals with his belief that the military is subordinate to civilian control.

-

Rumsfeld’s battle With The Generals.  Excerpts and a few links.

Rumsfeld Widely Criticized for US Defense Reform Program
Monday, May 21, 2001

Rumsfeld-Style Military Reform
June 8, 2001

Transforming the Military
By Donald H. Rumsfeld
May/June 2002

Rumsfeld Rules With Iron Fist
The Defense Secretary’s Drive For Reform Has Alienated Many Pentagon Officials.
January 12, 2003| Orlando Sentinal

Rumsfeld Reforms Spark Generals’ Ire
Oxford Analytica 04.20.06, 6:00 AM ET

Rejecting “transformation.” The program of military reforms known as “force transformation” has proved most controversial within the Army. Transformation has required it to cut personnel, incorporate controversial new weapons and transport systems, and radically reconfigure its global basing structure—while simultaneously assuming an onerous operational burden in Iraq.

Rumsfeld’s Revolution at Defense
Brookings Policy Brief Series | # 142
July 2005

@jones
Your accuracy reminds me of the special staff assigned to find the several trillion that
had disappeared in Pentagon book-keeping.  The same staff that were murdered by
the explosions after the Tomahawk made the little hole.  After the murder of which staff,
little more has been heard about the “missing” trillions.  I suspect Tim would have found
a large amount of the trillions associated with residents of a ranch in Texas.

“The defense secretary has made clear that troop reductions should be carried out carefully, and over several years, so that combat veterans are not flooding into a tough employment market and military families do not feel that the government is breaking trust after a decade of sacrifice, officials said.”
  That’s the key problem, as quoted from the article.
And not only “... so that combat vets, etc…” but so that those employed in defense industries will not all be thrown out of work at once—which would literally produce a crisis.
  What’s needed right now is the cooperation of Lockheed Martin et al to find non-murderous ways of producing things that don’t kill people.  Can they meet the challenge?  Or will they take the easy way
and continue to feed off military contracts?
  Time to raise the moral question nationwide.  But who will do it?

Cutting back on the bloated military is a good thing, from what I understand our military budget is larger then the rest of the world combined, I may be wrong on that, but it is quite large!

Repulcians will use this for some of their normal shrill anti Obama claptrap theoretic kabuki crap!

Ron Paul should embrace this, with open arms, (pun on arms?)  of course it will not be near enough cuts for him!