F-35 IS gobbling up the Pentagon.

via Standard  Examiner.

Hagel outlined the broad dimensions of two approaches. One is deeply reducing forces, especially in the Army, while retaining a greater technological capability. The other is delaying weapons advances to maintain the force at levels currently planned.
Hagel briefed congressional committee leaders Wednesday on the “Strategic Choices and Management Review,” effectively warning lawmakers they must alleviate cuts or take responsibility for the alternatives.
Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, R-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, criticized the review in an e-mailed statement as being “entirely budget-driven, deferring any further consideration of strategy.”
If the Pentagon cuts deeply into forces, Hagel said, the military will be able to protect certain programs such as Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 fighter, a program to build a new long-range bomber and upgrades in submarine cruise missiles.
That approach calls for reducing the Army from a planned 490,000 active-duty personnel to as few as 380,000. The Marines would be reduced from a planned 182,000 to as few as 150,000.

Read the entire article men.

Cuts to the Marine Corps to 150,000!  How long have I been beating that drum?

"If the Pentagon cuts deeply into forces, the military will be able to protect certain programs..."

I rest my case.

To all those that gave lip?  Kiss my ass.

I was late to the realization that the F-35 was a budget bomb but at least I got there.  We could have managed this better, but you want the bad news?  Personnel cuts are already baked in.  Want to know why?  Because all the people that insisted on military pay raises, increased benefits to dependents have all unknowningly conspired to make tech cheaper than troops.  We're on a bad piece of ground.  On one side we have the techies...those that believe that high tech is the only way to go.  On the other side we have the COIN mafia that believes that all future wars can be won by SOCOM alone, and in the middle you have Joe Marine, Soldier, Airman and Sailor that are actually the glue to it all about to get bum rushed out the door.

You heard it here first.