Obama Administration Quietly Altering Military's Global Presence

The Obama administration is ushering in a new era in which the meaning of what constitutes a U.S. military presence in some corners of the globe will look very different than it does today.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in recent weeks has used words like "innovative" and "rotational" when describing how a leaner military will maintain a presence in places it's been for decades—like Europe—as well as emerging hot spots like Africa and Asia. Analysts and lawmakers are quick to note that the defense chief isn't talking about maintaining all permanent bases in Europe or building ones in new regions—ushering in a major shift in the way America flexes its military muscle overseas.

The Obama administration's new national defense strategy, released this month, says smaller annual Pentagon budgets "will require innovative and creative solutions to maintain our support for allies." And smaller budgets will mean "thoughtful choices will need to be made regarding the location and frequency of these operations."

Panetta has said in recent weeks that the U.S. military will shift course from decades-old practices toward developing "low-cost and small-footprint approaches to achieving our security objectives."