Panetta: US ground forces would be cut by 100,000

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon says the Obama administration will propose to Congress that U.S. ground forces be reduced by 100,000 as part of budget cuts that also would eliminate older aircraft, limit military pay raises and slow the buying of a next-generation fighter plane.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta tells a Pentagon news conference the administration will request a 2013 budget of $525 billion, plus another $88 billion for operations in Afghanistan. Combined, those totals are about $33 billion less than the Pentagon is spending this year.

Panetta also says the Pentagon's budget will grow to $567 billion by 2017.

He also is outlining areas of spending increases, including in special operations forces and cyber-security.