"It sounds like your number one concern is DoD's Budget"

More accurately, my concern is repeating the mistakes of the Carter and Clinton administrations by using the defense budget as a piggy bank to finance social policy, leaving the US with an underfunded, under equipped and undermanned force. I don't think that addresses our shared number one concern.

I agree with you that an "...overly military and war-like face on our foreign policy arguably does not provide the most effective approach to National Security." To which I would add that a weak military isn't an effective approach to National Security, either. Being too weak to defend itself has worked out well for Costa Rica (for example), but I'm hard pressed to think of many countries through out history that were left in peace because of their weakness.

Furthermore, "...cuts without a plan that supports policy, that in turn supports an over-arching strategy..." is precisely what I expect. Time will tell, probably within the next week, if "Gut the Defense Budget" is an alarmist or an accurate phrase. It will be nice if I'm proved wrong, and I will put on my happy face in that event.