WASHINGTON, March 18 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has ordered a review of the department's strategic assumptions, given changes in the current fiscal environment, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said Monday.
Hagel asked Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey to lead the effort, examining the choices underlying the department's strategy, force posture, investments and institutional management. This examination will include past assumptions, systems and practices, Little said in a press briefing.
The new examination follows up on the Defense Strategic Guidance, which called for rebalancing military forces toward the Asia-Pacific region, supporting partner nations and building partnership capacity.
The department used that guidance to form the fiscal 2013 budget request. That request took into account the 487-billion- dollar cut in the Pentagon budget over 10 years.
However, according to the Pentagon, further budget cuts known as the sequestration triggered this month has made the strategy hard to materialize, leading to the review. A report is expected by the end of May.
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