As America continues to provide support to countries around the globe, one of the top leaders in the Army says the most important battle is being waged on American soil. As Bill Carey reports, Secretary of the Army John McHugh says its the financial war in Washington that could really determine military intervention around the globe.  

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- For 16 years, he was one of those asking the questions. But in 2009, a long time Republican Congressman from Northern New York, John McHugh, became one of those providing the answers.

McHugh accepted Democrat Barack Obama's invitation to serve as secretary of the Army.

In the six years since, a job that was expected to involve overseeing the winding down of two wars has become quite different.

Troops remain in Afghanistan and now some are back in Iraq as the ISIS threat has developed. Beyond that, the secretary has overseen an Army dealing with new challenges from Russia and China and even an outbreak of Ebola in Africa.

Knowing what he knows now, would he have taken the job?

"I don't know about degree. Eager. Less eager. More eager. But look this is,  the honor of this job would be undiminished no matter what the era in which you're serving may be," said Secretary of the Army John McHugh.

The greatest challenge? McHugh points to a battle at home. An ongoing political budget battle, and the inability of Congress to reach a deal to end mandatory sequestration cuts.

"Will sequestration return in January of 2016?  Will Congress find a way by which to resolve it? Will they find some other path by which to provide us relief?  All of that uncertainty greatly hinders our ability to plan appropriately, to execute integrated and comprehensive and, hopefully, successful approaches to all of those problems, singularly as well as collectively. So, if we don't solve our budget problem, all of our other problems are affected negatively. And I think that's the most pressing need we have in the department of defense," said McHugh.

A need that, if unmet, could force the military to begin reducing the list of crises that they can handle at any one time.

The job has gotten tougher each year. The secretary is quick to say his future lies in the hands of the president. But says he has no plans for any changes.

"I am not here to make an announcement I am stepping down now or at any time in the future. But, no one comes to these jobs forever. And, right now, of 21 army secretaries in the Army's history, I have served longer than all but two.  So, every day is a gift," said McHugh.

What is surely a very challenging gift.