US Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday outlined a sweeping set of changes to the Department of Defense's budget that he described "will profoundly reform how this department does business".

The changes cut many a congressperson's pet project, shuffle billions out of some programs and into others, and thoroughly reorganize and reprioritize the US's warfighting capabilities.

Among Gates' proposals are the following:

In his remarks, Gates said that he had "consulted closely with the president" and that the chairman and vice chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff were in complete accord with his recommendations.

He didn't mention, of course, those pork-hungry congressfolks - one of whom, Senator James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), was quoted by the Los Angeles Times as saying: "I cannot believe what I heard today. President Obama is disarming America."

Now the real war begins. ®