obama made the announcement in the first news conference at the pentagon by a u.s. president. the strategy took into account the end of the war in iraq and the winding down of the one in afghanistan. pentagon leaders crafted this strategy in line with defense cuts of $450 billion over the next decade. obama says the u.s. will be able to ensure its security with a smaller ground force. our military will be leaner, but the world must know the united states is is going to maintain our military s superiority with armed forces that are agile, flexible, and ready for the full range of contingencies and threats. defense secretary leon panetta made it clear the military will no longer be large enough to conduct large-scale ground campaigns. still, he noted that american soldiers could win a conflict on the korean peninsula and counter the iranian threat in the strait of hormuz. he said the u.s. will help its allies to defend themselves through diplomacy, development, and military