U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford has said the joint force’s readiness and modernization efforts would suffer if sequestration returns in October, DoD News reported Thursday.
Dunford, President Barack Obama’s nominee to become the next Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that a sustained budget cap would limit efforts meant to help protect the nation from current threats, Jim Garamone reports.
The next round of budget cuts would take effect on Oct. 1 if the Congress fails to amend budget laws, according to the report.
Dunfordalso cited Russia’s nuclear program and China’s military buildup as among the threats the U.S. faces, DoD News reports.
He added North Korea and the Islamic State organization to the list of threats, as well as the challenges in space and in cyber domain, the report says.
“While dealing with these and other issues, we also face the need to restore readiness and modernize the joint force in the context of fiscal challenges and budget uncertainty,†Dunford told legislators.
