In "This Week in the DoD" for May 10, 2012:

At the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, briefed reporters on developments in the Federal budget, specifically related to the Defense budget request.

Panetta hosted Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Liang Guanglie at the Pentagon Monday. The two reaffirmed the U.S. and China's mutual commitment to stable relationships between the two countries' governments and militaries.

The Atlantic Council honored all enlisted service members by giving them, as a whole, the Distinguished Military Service Award. Marine Sgt. Maj. Bryan Battaglia, the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, accepted the award on behalf of America's enlisted troops.

On Wednesday, Panetta and Dempsey spoke at the Forum on the Law of the Sea convention in Washington, D.C. There, they encouraged the U.S. to ratify the United Nations' Law of the Sea Treaty, which will provide legal rules and guidance for international use of the world's oceans.

Today is Military Spouse Appreciation Day; here's a special message from the Chairman and his wife, Deanie.