The Defense Department will release a $496 billion budget request next week that sacrifices troop strength to preserve readiness and cuts some modernization programs to protects other procurement and research efforts of higher strategic importance, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Monday afternoon. The budget request for fiscal year 2015, which will be sent to Congress March 4, lays out a plan that adheres to congressional spending caps in FY ’15 but spends $115 billion more than allowed under sequestration in…
