Even during sequestration the Defense Department doesn't plan to sacrifice its global presence. But it is considering new ways to administer the bureaucracy that global reach requires. Some of the military's combatant commands might disappear altogether, and some might have their geographical boundaries redrawn. For now, it's all speculation, and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says it'll only be necessary if sequestration stays in place for the full ten years. Yet, it is one of the ideas DoD is examining in the wake of Hagel's recent Strategic Choices and Management Review.
Evan Montgomery, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, explains why DoD might consider restructuring its combatant commands.