Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne writes in his latest Letter to Airmen that USAF has “no plans to extend our restructuring beyond the current 40,000 reduction.” The Air Force has been drawing down its personnel for the past two fiscal years under a planned 40,000 full time equivalent cut that would take the force to around 316,000 by 2009 as a means to pay for weapons system recapitalization. However, Wynne notes that the service still is reconsidering whether it can continue toward a full cut of 40,000 because of Administration plans to increase the size of the Army and Marine Corps. Wynne writes, “Land component growth may require our Total Force drawdown to level off, while the size of specific elements within our Air Force might actually need to grow as well.”
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.