The Air Force’s plan to cut 40,000 people from its ranks greatly affects the Guard and Reserves, said Lt. Gen. John Bradley, Chief of Air Force Reserve. “The Air Force is going to catch some savings by getting rid of 40,000 full-time positions and that equates to about 57,000 when you consider Guard and Reserve not being a full-time equivalent,” the general said during a seminar in Washington Tuesday morning. With that number in mind, the service will save about $2.5 billion per year, which will “free up resources for recapitalization,” Bradley continued. Air Force Reserve Command will cut 7,744 people, Bradley said, saving about $172 million. Those cuts will force AFRC to shut down a flying wing and close some geographically separated units, among other changes.
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.