Former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel was sworn in as Secretary of Defense earlier this week, and in his first statements to the Pentagon he did not shy away from addressing the looming budget crisis. Speaking to top military officials, Hagel maintained that while there are certainly challenges ahead, he has a commitment to supporting servicemembers and their families. 

Among the most serious issues he addressed was the potential for $45 billion in spending cuts over the next year if Congress is unable to avoid sequestration. Though he did not go into detail concerning what impact the sequester could have on military readiness, he said that the budget cuts are something that should not be ignored.

"We need to deal with this reality," he told a packed audience, according to The New York Times.

Hagel also took the opportunity to discuss the shifting geopolitical landscape. Specifically, he stressed the importance of working with allies to make progress in the world, rather than going it alone. He also touched on the fact that the military wants to shift its focus from operating in the Middle East to having a presence in Asia. 

Military working dogs have played a vital role in the Armed Forces for decades, but their contributions may go unnoticed by the civilian population. However, a recent documentary on Animal Planet gave the four-legged soldiers their due recognition. The two-hour film, "Glory Hounds," highlighted the lives of several canines from Camp Lejeune as they served in Afghanistan, reports The News and Observer. 

Dogs certainly put their lives on the line in combat. Many of them are used to help detect improvised explosive devices (IEDs) as well as the insurgents who plant them. Along with helping keep soldiers safe, many of the working dogs form strong bonds with their handlers. In fact, this sometimes brings troops closer to their dogs than with their fellow human soldiers.

"The only thing that's between you and an IED is your dog," Cpl. Drew Nyman, who is featured in the film, told the newspaper. "So it's kind of nerve-wracking knowing that your dog doesn't smell explosives. You have to trust that your dog is on point, not leading you to a bad area."

While military working dogs have played a vital role in Afghanistan, many of them return home with the same wounds as other servicemembers. In fact, at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, experts have noticed dogs presenting signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), reports CBS affiliate KTVT.

As the Army continues to brace itself for potential cuts to its budget, some officials say the future could see the military return to a time when only small units are prepared for deployment. The shift back to pre-9/11 levels of deployment would be reflection of sequestration, which would dramatically reduce funding for training and other vital exercises, reports Military.com.

Regardless of whether the sequester takes effect on March 1, the Army's size is already trending downward. The branch is expected to reduce its numbers by about 80,000 over the next four years. Those figures could be greater should the Pentagon's budget get slashed. Plus, the sequester could eliminate the funding from 80 percent of the Army's training budget.

"The problem we have is they [combat leaders] have very high expectations, and one of my greatest concerns is severe cutbacks to things like home-station training, or the ability to conduct exercises, or the ability to make being a professional soldier very much linked to real-world problems," Gen. Robert Cone, the commander of Training and Doctrine Command, told the website. 

The issue of military readiness is one that has been broached by many top officials concerned about sequestration. Earlier this month, outgoing Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta voiced his concerns about what the cuts could do to the Navy, Air Force and civilian jobs, CNN reports.

As sequestration draws closer, President Barack Obama spoke directly to Congress on Tuesday and called on lawmakers to act now to avoid the drastic cuts that could greatly hurt servicemembers and first responders. Decrying the "meat cleaver" approach (the sequester would result in automatic cuts of $85 billion), Obama said the economic impact of inaction will be significant.

The statements come just 10 days before the March 1 deadline and echo the sentiments Obama has conveyed over the last two months. He says that Congress should agree on a balanced approach to debt reduction that would include both spending cuts and increases in revenue from closing tax loopholes. Failing to do these could have a dramatic impact on everything from military readiness to flu vaccines, Obama noted.

"These cuts are not smart, they are not fair," he said. "This is not an abstraction – people will lose their jobs. These cuts, known here in Washington as sequestration, are a bad idea."

While it remains to be seen whether the cuts will be enacted, that has not assuaged any fears among the military community. According to Military.com, the cuts could impact everything from local schools for families of servicemembers to vital programs for soldiers.

As French troops continue the fight in Mali against al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the United States remains committed to not becoming directly involved, but some foreign policy experts say that it may become increasingly difficult to stay that way, USA Today reports.

Obama administration officials recently said that while the extremist group, which is al-Qaeda's North African franchise, pose a threat to American interests, they believe that sending American troops is not the right move. Instead, the military will lend support through financial aid and intelligence gathering. Some advisors say the approach is enough for the time being, but the policy may need to change.

"At some point the U.S. may have to ratchet up the instruments it deploys – including possibly targeting key AQIM leaders in order to throw the extremists into disarray – in order to buy time for [political work", J. Peter Pham, director of the Africa program at the Atlantic Council, told the publication.

French-led forces have made considerable progress over the last several weeks. Joined by Malian troops, they have retaken many of the country's major cities including Gao, which was recently lost to insurgents, reports The Guardian.

President Barack Obama gave his fifth State of the Union address on Tuesday night, and he touched on everything from healthcare spending to immigration reform. However, members of the military community were likely most interested in what he had to say about the future of defense spending and America’s role in Afghanistan. He discussed both issues at length as well as the progress that’s been made in the more than decade-long fight against al-Qaida and the increasing threat of cyberterrorism.

Spending cuts take center stage
The address was given under the continuing threat of sequestration, harmful across-the-board budget cuts, which will be enacted on March 1 if Congress cannot agree on a deficit reduction strategy. The Pentagon will take the brunt of these deep cuts, and as he has done for much of the last 18 months, Obama called on members of both parties to compromise so that the Armed Forces can remain as capable in the future as they are now. Sequestration would result in an additional $500 billion in budget cuts over the next 10 years, which is on top of the already established $487 billion cut over that same time period. 

Changes to military culture
Obama also touched on the fact that the Armed Forces has seen great strides over the last two years when it comes to being more inclusive. He touted the recent Pentagon announcement that women can serve in combat roles, along with making reference to the repeal of “don’t ask don’t tell” mid-way through his first term. However, he said there was still considerable work to be done.

“We will ensure equal treatment for all servicemembers, and equal benefits for their families – gay and straight,” he told a joint session of Congress. “We will draw upon
the courage and skills of our sisters and daughters, because women have proven under fire that they are ready for combat.”

The future of the military
Spending cuts aside, the role the U.S. military will play in the coming decades is changing, Obama said. Along with announcing the withdrawal of 34,000 troops from Afghanistan over the next year, he also hinted at offering assistance to embattled nations such as Libya, Somalia and Yemen. He also detailed a new executive order meant to strengthen the country’s cyber-security to protect it from outside attacks. 

Ending American involvement in Afghanistan has been one of the cornerstones of President Barack Obama’s agenda since he took office, and he is expected to announce the next step in that plan during his State of the Union on Tuesday night. Officials familiar with his speech say that he will call for 34,000 troops to be removed from the embattled nation by early 2014, according to CBS News.

The announcement will come amid continued concerns surrounding whether or not Afghan forces will be able to take over security once the United States hands over the reins. However, the White House official who offered the glimpse at Obama’s speech painted a more optimistic picture of the future of Afghan soldiers.

“Afghan forces continue to grow stronger, with 352,000 now in training or on duty,” the administration official said. “Afghan forces are leading nearly 90 percent of operations across the country, and by this spring, they’ll be assuming the lead across the entire country, with the United States and ISAF stepped back to a train, advise and assist role.”

There are currently an estimated 66,000 American forces in Afghanistan, which makes up the large majority of 100,000 international troops still stationed there. The current plans have soldiers leaving the country by the end of 2014. In fact, the United States has already taken steps to remove some of its military hardware, according to Pakistan’s The Express Tribune. Earlier this week, convoys of containers holding U.S. equipment started to make their way out of Afghanistan and into Pakistan. 

While most Pentagon officials have agreed on the 2014 deadline, there is still some uncertainty over whether the U.S. will have any presence, even a minimal one, after they officially withdraw. There have been a number of conflicting reports, which have put the number of troops remaining in Afghanistan at as little as 1,000 or as many as 20,000. Still, The New York Times reported earlier this year that Obama was weighing the possibility of leaving no troops behind.

If past addresses are any indication, Afghanistan will likely not be the only mention of the troops during Obama’s speech. During his inauguration in January, he spoke about the importance of taking care of veterans once they return home. 

The Pentagon avoided sequestration – a series of across-the-board budget cuts – when Congress took action toward the end of 2012, but the move only delayed the cuts to March 1. Now, as that deadline looms once again, the Department of Defense (DOD) has to grapple with potential budget constraints in the near future. On Wednesday it was revealed that outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will recommend cutting pay to active duty troops, reports CNN.

“Uncertainties” cause cuts
While sequestration has yet to take effect, and it’s unclear if it will, Panetta’s decision is indicative of the growing uncertainty surrounding the military budget, one Pentagon official told CNN. Though it has yet to be officially announced, the cut in pay would come in the form of lowering the annual raise, which is usually due to a cost of living adjustment. Under the new plan, that annual increase would shrink from about 1.7 percent to just 1 percent. 

A politically motivated move
The announcement may be one of the last acts of Panetta’s tenure as Secretary of Defense, as he is slated to be replaced by former Senator Chuck Hagel in the coming days. Not only that, but it may be one of his smartest moves as well. Analysts say that the proposed cut in pay will be so unpopular that it will put pressure on Congress to act more quickly to help avoid sequestration.

“It’s a smart move, it puts it in Congress’ hands,” a military officer told CNN.

More than just military pay
Sequestration would trigger additional budget cuts of about $500 billion, which would impact significantly more than the pay going to active duty troops. It would also harm the readiness of troops, especially since it could cause delays to brigade combat teams’ (BCT) training, according to a memo obtained by Defense News.

“With the exception of one BCT, all non-deploying or non-forward stationed units (78 percent of all brigade combat teams) will incur several months delay for required training to meet [combatant commander] requirements,” the memo said.  

Another delay?
With the March 1 deadline quickly approaching, President Barack Obama has called on Congress to push it back once more. Speaking to reporters earlier this week, he said that if lawmakers are not able to reach a compromise on reducing the deficit, they should pass a smaller bill to stave off sequestration, according to CBS News.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan presented the military with many challenges not seen before in combat history. Everything from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to a nebulous enemy made fighting more difficult, but also created the potential for some adverse health effects troops of the past did not encounter. In an effort to better treat such conditions, the Veterans Affairs Department (VA) recently announced its intentions to conduct a lengthy study to investigate the unique impact serving in Iraq and Afghanistan had on the health of troops.

The study
The VA is interested in what impact exposure to open air burn pits and other environmental hazards had on the well-being of soldiers. In particular, researchers are focused on whether there is a link between serving in the two countries and an increased risk of certain cancers, respiratory diseases, circulatory problems and neurological conditions. The announcement is somewhat of a change in policy for the VA, which has said that there was no need for a study focused on veterans of the two wars because they were included in several other trials. However, the department says the findings could be important in providing benefits.

“VA believes such studies would be helpful in properly assessing affected veterans for compensation purposes as well as for medical evaluation, treatment and follow up,” the department announced. 

Big step forward
The announcement will likely be seen as a success for many veterans advocates who say the widespread use of burn pits, which were used to dispose of everything from hazardous materials to vehicles, had been causing significant health problems in veterans. In fact, earlier this year President Barack Obama signed a bill into law that instructed the VA to design a registry to track any soldier who spent time living around a burn pit, whether it was in Iraq, Afghanistan or anywhere else abroad. 

“The new registry will enhance VA’s ability to monitor the effects of exposure and keep veterans informed about studies and treatments,” the VA wrote after the bill was signed into law.

A widespread issue
It’s hard to measure just how many soldiers may be at risk for health problems due to burn pits. According to the Oxford American, the pit at Balad Air Base (which was shut down in 2009), may have exposed as many as 25,000 servicemembers to potentially toxic fumes. 

It’s not very often that members of the service academies make it to the NFL, but this year, one of them is heading to the Super Bowl. Chad Hall, who played college football at Air Force, was signed to the San Francisco 49ers earlier this year as a member of the practice squad, and will be with the team when they play the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, according to Military.com.

Hall, who stands just 5-foot-8, impressed coaches with his exceptional work ethic. He is currently listed as the team’s back up kick and punt returner, and was put on the active roster on January 19, just in time for him to be on the sidelines for the NFC Championship game. He says that his time in the Air Force has helped prepare him for the challenges of professional football.

“It’s not easy, but the Air Force definitely got me prepped for that,” he told the website.

During his time playing for Air Force, Hall was one of the best players on the team. In fact, in 2007 he was named the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year after leading his team in both receiving yards and rushing yards.