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Army Chief of Staff General Martin Dempsey, expected to be named the top US military officer on Monday, will need to draw on his experience in and out of war zones to navigate a budget battle awaiting him in Washington. The White House said President Barack Obama will make Pentagon personnel announcements at 10 am (14:00 GMT) today. US officials expect that, beyond Dempsey's nomination as chairman of the military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, Obama will announce other top military posts. People familiar with the matter say former Iraq war commander General Raymond Odierno is expected to be named as Dempsey's successor as the Army's top officer. The nomination of Dempsey, who commanded troops during the Iraq war, would be the last major change to Obama's core national security team following the president's announcement in April of new leaders for the Defense Department and the CIA. The US Senate must vote to confirm nominees to head the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Analysts say Dempsey is expected to face questions during the Senate confirmation process about efforts to tighten defense spending. The US military is engaged in a nearly decade-old war in Afghanistan, is on track to withdraw its remaining 48,000 troops from Iraq by the end of this year, and has taken part in military operations in Libya. In addition to the instability in the Middle East and North Africa, the US is dealing with North Korean provocations and tensions with Pakistan. "There is no part of the defense structure that, at this point in time, isn't going to have to change," said defense analyst Anthony Cordesman at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank. Asked about Dempsey's expected nomination, Cordesman described him as "a better planner, better manager, and better budgeter at a time when those skills are going to be almost as important as strategy." Republicans and Democrats are looking at defense spending reductions as a way to reduce the US deficit, which is running about $1.4 trillion this year. Obama announced plans in April to save about $400 billion in national security spending over the next 12 years. Some in Congress want deeper defense cuts. Reuters |
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