A Recap of the Pentagon Briefing on Defense Cuts In an address at the Pentagon this morning, President Obama laid out his administration's new strategic vision for the nation's defense, calling for a leaner military that maintains a strong presence in the Pacific, vigilance against the nuclear ambitions of North Korea and Iran, smaller conventional ground forces and higher-tech air power. The president's strategic guidance, as it is known, will guide deep cuts in military spending, as much as $1 trillion over the next ten years. Without tipping his hand about details of impending cuts, Mr. Obama pledged that his administration would cut spending strategically and not "repeat the mistakes of the past after World War II and Vietnam, when the military was left ill-prepared for the future." But he also asserted that cuts were necessary to allow the administration to redirect tax dollars toward domestic programs and rebuilding the economy, "which is the foundation of our strength around the world." "Over the past ten years, since 9-11, our defense budget grew at an extraordinary pace," the president said. Over the next 10 years, growth will slow, but the fact of the matter is, it will still grow. Mr. Obama added that even after a decade of reductions, the Pentagon budget will still be larger than it was at end of the Bush administration and larger than the combined defense spending of the next 10 largest militaries. Without providing details, Mr. Obama made clear what many analysts had expected: that his new guidance will call for cutting the size of the Army and Marine Corps, while providing a significant military presence in the Pacific to counter China's emerging military might. He talked of eliminating "outdated air systems," suggesting delays or cuts to manned fighter jets and continuing growth of unmanned aircraft programs. Mr. Obama also indicated that his administration would not make deep reductions to programs for veterans and military families, though he did not address whether the Pentagon would look for savings in health care and retirement programs. At the end of the 10-minute address, the president looked about the Pentagon briefing room and noted that he was the first president to have addressed reporters from that podium, familiar to regular viewers of CSPAN. "It's a pretty nice room," he said, before turning the microphone over to the secretary of defense, Leon Panetta. "Sustaining U.S. Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century Defense," is available here: http://www.defense.gov/news/Defense_Strategic_Guidance.pdf .