(Photo: AP)NORFOLK, Va. (AP)- Uncertainly over potential massive defense budget cuts affecting future ship deployments has U.S. military members and their families wondering if they will endure longer deployments.
The potential for the cuts to kick in is the result of Congress' failure to trim the deficit by $1.2 trillion over a decade. The Pentagon faces a $42.7 billion budget cut in the seven months starting in March and ending in September.
The Navy has said the cuts will mean there's less money for training and maintenance and that it could take longer to prepare crews to deploy as a result. The Navy has said that it would also deploy fewer ships to fewer places and that those that are sent out could spend longer time at sea with fewer port calls to boost morale.
