Image from a quicklink (Image by Unknown Owner) Details DMCA | A funny thing happened on the way to a predicted disaster: The Pentagon is learning to live with the automatic budget cuts its leaders had warned would threaten national security if they took effect. The change from near-hysteria to sober assessment starts at the top with new Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, a former maverick Republican senator from Nebraska who's long pushed for serious restructuring of military spending. He replaced Leon Panetta in February. |