A large portrait of Leon E. Panetta as House Budget chairman hangs on the chamber walls as Panetta, now defense secretary, testifies on the fiscal 2013 defense authorization budget request before the House Budget Committee in Washington, D.C., Feb. 29, 2012. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett

U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, chairman of the House Budget Committee, gestures toward a portrait painting to remind Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta of his past historic service during a committee hearing on the fiscal 2013 authorization budget request, Feb. 29, 2012. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testifies on the fiscal 2013 defense authorization budget request before the House Budget Committee in Washington, D.C., 29, 2012. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett

Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, center, chairman of the House Budget Committee, and committee members listen as Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta testifies on the fiscal 2013 defense budget authorization in Washington, D.C., Feb. 29, 2012. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta gestures as he testifies on the fiscal 2013 authorization for the defense budget request before the House Budget Committee in Washington, D.C., Feb. 29, 2012. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett

Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan B. Battaglia, senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, welcomes about 80 Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn veterans at a reception in Crystal City, Va., Feb. 29, 2012. The veterans later attended a dinner at the White House in their honor hosted by President Barack Obama. DOD photo by Linda Hosek

Marine Corps Cpl. Steven Schulz, an Iraq War veteran who relies on Sonny, his seeing-eye dog, talks with friends at a reception to honor Iraq War veterans in Crystal City, Va., Feb. 29, 2012. Schulz, who did two tours in Iraq in 2004 and 2005, lost an eye while serving in Iraq. About 80 Iraw War veterans attended the reception before heading to the White House to attend a dinner hosted by President Barack Obama in their honor. DOD photo by Linda Hosek

Marine Corps Cpl. Aaron P. Mankin, an Iraq War veteran, tells the story of his facial reconstruction while attending a reception to honor Iraq War veterans in Crystal City, Va., Feb. 29, 2012. Mankin survived a bomb blast May 11, 2005, and said he has had more than 60 surgeries as the first patient of a reconstruction program at the University of California at Los Angeles. About 80 such veterans gathered at the reception before going to the White House attend a dinner in their honor. DOD photo by Linda Hosek