U.S. Air Force Commanders Respond to Budget Cuts By Removing Thousands of Airmen From the Ranks & Eliminating 500 Warplanes in 25 States, DC, & Overseas, Including Terminating the A-10 Warthog!
According to Stars and Stripes, the U.S. Air Force now has a proposed base budget of $109.3 billion to fund all of its operations in fiscal year 2015, which means manpower cuts and airframe elimination.
In addition to removing the warthog from the fleet, the U-2 recon aircraft force will also head to the scrap yard. The F-15 and MQ 1-S will also take heavy hits.
Total Air Force military personnel will drop from 503,000 airmen to 483,000.
Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, says the cuts are necessary to keep the branch functioning with “expected funding levels” or it will be unable to achieve acceptable combat readiness.
The General also explains Air Force leaders decided to make these cuts in order to leave $4.3 billion in the budget to work toward acquiring more advanced F-35 joint strike fighters.
The cuts were also deemed appropriate in order to make another $359 million hole in the budget to put toward research, development, and testing of a brand new long-range bomber.
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