g the formula to reflect a more realistic division of labor would wring significant savings from the Air Force and the Navy while protecting the Army and the Marines from the multiple combat tours that have strained service members and their families over the last decade.

Congress has been a big enabler of Pentagon bloat — egged on by lobbyists and defense contractors. The Republican leadership, in particular, does not make even the pretense of fiscal responsibility when it comes to military spending. That is why it was gratifying to see 110 House Republicans joining Democrats to heed Mr. Gates’s plea to cut off future spending for an unneeded alternative engine for the F-35 — saving a potential $2 billion to $3 billion. Most of the work would have gone to Speaker John Boehner’s Ohio district.

That is a start, but only a start. America has vast global security responsibilities and needs to remain prepared for a variety of future challenges. It needs to do so with fiscally sustainable military budgets that do not weaken our economy or distort national priorities.