U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe seeks details on possible military cuts

Inhofe, of Tulsa, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told Panetta in a letter that, “rather than simply blaming Congress,” he and President Barack Obama should work with lawmakers to prevent “further devastating cuts” to the military.

Speaking to troops in Italy on Thursday, Panetta said members of the military were putting their lives on the line and that elected officials should have the courage to do what's necessary to prevent the cuts.

“This is not an unsolvable problem,” Panetta said, according to a Pentagon transcript. “We can do this. People have just got to suck it up and take some of the — you know, take on some of the risks and take on some of the challenges that are required by people in leadership.”

The Defense Department, which already has been tasked to cut nearly $500 billion over the next 10 years, may face another $500 billion in reductions if Congress doesn't step in by March to stop or revise the automatic cuts known as sequestration.

Panetta told reporters last week that all of the Defense Department components had been asked to determine how they would implement the cuts. Panetta said furloughs of civilians would likely be necessary and that training and maintenance unrelated to the war in Afghanistan would have to be halted later in the year.