WASHINGTON, March 29 (UPI) -- The U.S. Air Force, hoping to cut 40,000 people to pay for more aircraft, are slowing their drawdown as ground forces are increased.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told the Appropriations Defense Subcommittee of the House of Representatives Thursday that because the U.S. Army was planning to add more than 60,000 soldiers and the Marine Corps 30,000, the Air Force will need more pilots, crews and support staff to manage their cargo and personnel transportation.
"Particularly with the increase in the end strength of the ground forces, the Air Force is going to have to take a pause on the downsizing and see what their additional requirements are going to be -- both for equipment and manpower, in terms of dealing with an increased size of the Army and the Marine Corps. And they are going to do that," said Gates.
Exactly how many of the 40,000 the Air Force will have to retain on its payroll is still being worked out, an Air Force official told UPI.
"A bigger Army and Marine Corps will require a somewhat bigger Air Force than the one planned for in the drawdown," the USAF official said.
"Our personnel folks are doing the calculus now to try and figure out, what number, shy of 40,000 we want to draw down. Once we figure that out, and I don't know when that will be, the next calculus will then be, how much will that cost?" the official said. "The purpose of the drawdown was to free up funds for other priorities. If we reduce the reduction, that means we either have to cut something to pay for it, or get new money."
