Defense Department Reviews

On Monday, the Defense Department will deliver an important report to Congress which details its strategies, weapons capabilities and deployment details.

It's called the Quadrenniel Defense Review, and it's is a required disclosure to lawmakers every four years which helps set budgets and define force structure.

While its formal release is still days away, some details of the report have leaked out.

U-S Army Colonel and CBS News consultant Jeff McCausland says many of the changes have to do with the September 11th attacks on America and our involvement in two overseas - all of which have occurred since the last QDR.

"The world has changed dramatically in the last four years. Obviously we've seen the United States engaged in conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq," said McCausland. "We've seen those governments taken down by US forces. And now we see ongoing counter insurgency operations in both those countries."

Other changes will be more visible, including the relocation of U.S. military ships.

"One thing they are going to be doing is moving around our naval forces from the Atlantic, and Air Forces, to the Pacific," McCausland said. "Because again, if one looks in the future, we have not as many threats in the Atlantic as we did during the cold war. But there is a lot of potential threats along the Pacific."

Full details of the QDR will be released on Monday, February 6, when the report is issued to Congress.
By Bob Bicknell