(KCEN)- Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is drawing up a plan that will force the military to change the way it fights in the future.
Panetta is putting the final touches on a Pentagon budget that will slash more than $450 billion in spending over the next decade.
With the mission in Iraq now finished the Pentagon can no longer afford to fight two simultaneous wars and is retooling to face 21st century threats from unconventional enemies.
However, military experts worry about another bottom line, readiness.
"Are you trying to save dollars at the expense of protecting interests...or are you trying to protect interests while saving dollars... you can't do both," U.S. Army retired Col. Paul Hughes said.
The biggest fear is what happens if Congress deadlocks on how to slash spending and the Pentagon has to find an additional $550 billion in cuts.
Secretary Panetta has told Congress that could be disastrous as they try to cut spending without harming our military.
