Wall Street Journal: Trump aides proposing 'American retreat' in military reorganization

The Wall Street Journal is warning against major changes that reportedly could be coming to U.S. military operations as a cost-cutting measure through President Trump's government reform efforts.

"Senior Republicans in Congress on Wednesday warned President Trump off a U.S. military reorganization abroad that sounds more like an American retreat," the Journal wrote in a staff editorial. "The lawmakers deserve credit for emerging from their foxholes, and it’s a service to the Commander in Chief."

The Journal pushed back on reportedly proposed "changes to the U.S. military, ostensibly to save money."

NBC News reported this week that the Pentagon is considering a significant restructuring of the military's combatant commands and headquarters. That could involve consolidating five of the military's 11 combatant commands and giving up the Pentagon's historic role as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, according to NBC.

"If the Trump crowd wants to fold Africa Command under the umbrella of Europe, perhaps first they could explain what the U.S. plans to do about the Chinese influence projects, Russian mercenaries and Islamic terrorists that are ascendant in Africa," The Wall Street Journal wrote. "Especially worrisome is that the U.S. may scrap an expansion of military forces in Japan. This would make China’s day, or decade."

The Republican chairs of the House and Senate Armed Services committees issued a joint statement this week pushing back on the idea of reorganizing the U.S. military combatant command structure.