Sen. Tom Coburn's proposed defense cuts include weapons, personnel and health care

That is an alarming prospect for many lawmakers and is considered a surefire way to force the committee to devise a plan that spreads the cuts around.

However, should those defense cuts become necessary, Sen. Tom Coburn stands ready with a menu of ways to enact them.

In his $9 trillion plan to balance the budget, Coburn proposes $1 trillion in savings from defense, grabbing from most parts of its budget.

“The severity of our fiscal crisis is not lost on our senior military leaders,” Coburn's report, “Back in Black,” states.

“In fact, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mullen stated the national debt is our nation's greatest national security threat. In light of this threat, the Department of Defense can and must play a role in bringing our budgets into balance.”

Coburn, a Muskogee Republican, has become increasingly frustrated with the way the Pentagon spends money — and the fact that its financial books have defied government audit attempts.

As a member of the president's fiscal commission last year, Coburn noted a “depressing array” of financial problems at the Pentagon.