A new Pentagon request for military funding in 2021 is out on Monday, with revelations that they are seeking $705.4 billion, covering a 3% pay raise for service members, and $15.4 billion for Space Force.
The budget request includes $21.3 billion for munitions, including $11.3 billion for tactical missiles. The Trump Administration is also seeking $46 billion in spending on nuclear weapons.
While funding remains high for almost everything, the request includes the lowest level of request for the Afghan War as part of Overseas Contingency Operations in a decade. This is noteworthy, and appears contingent on a substantial drawdown that is yet to come.
President Trump’s desire to cut troop levels before the 2020 election has been well-known, and the Pentagon is apparently building this into budgets. That’s noteworthy, as other drawdown plans have ultimately been reversed.
And that’s one place for substantial cuts to potentially come from. It’s clear that the Pentagon’s budget-makers aren’t coming up with a lot of other ideas, however, beyond substantial funding cuts for Stars and Stripes.