Leo Shane III

The president is expected to use the event to build on his military remarks from Tuesday’s address to Congress.

The new defense secretary spent 90 minutes with House Armed Services Committee members this week.

Republicans hailed his bold agenda, while Democrats called it unrealistic and off-base.

The wide-ranging address also included a reprimand for NATO countries to pay their fair share of defense costs.

In a TV interview, he says “they” lost the servicemember during a mission in January.

But just how specific the president will get on defense policy issues remains unclear.

The net effect, said one observer, is that budget and planning proposals “will be more a reflection of uniformed military priorities than the priorities of the Trump administration.”

Defense and veterans hearings on Capitol Hill for the week of Feb. 27.

Analysts say upgrades and new research on munitions is needed to give U.S. forces the edge over potential adversaries.

The House Armed Services committee chairman says “artificial” caps on U.S. troop levels are hurting the progress of Afghanistan security forces.