With hearings on Capitol Hill this week examining the Pentagon's 2013 budget request, navigating the DoD budget and other financial issues is key for the department.

And the scaleback and other cuts in the official request do not amount to "feel-good proposals" for many lawmakers, Tucker said.

Tucker also discussed the threat of across-the-board sequestration cuts, which Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has called a meat-axe and Tucker himself call a "sword of Damocles" hanging over the department.

In addition, Tucker provided an update of the Pentagon's progress to have some of its books auditable by 2014.

RELATED LINKS:

New accounting rule could cost DoD billions (From Federal Times)

Panetta Calls for Tax Increases, Not Defense Cuts (From National Journal)

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