The US federal government could be facing a shut-down in a matter of days if Congress does not vote in a new budget - including $60bn of cuts demanded by Republicans.

In the second of three pieces looking at the US military, North America editor Mark Mardell considers the shifting alliance of the Pentagon, big business and politics.

Listen to Mark Mardell's reports from the US on the increasingly intellectual focus in military training and the nation's "fierce gratitude" for their troops or read more and join the debate on his blog.

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