Air Force leaders foresee personnel cuts

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Mitch Gettle
  • Air Force Print News
WASHINGTON --  Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne said a proposal aimed at reducing the number of Air Force total-force personnel has been discussed. 

During a press conference Dec. 13, Secretary Wynne said the reduction would take affect across the total force -- active duty, Reserve, Guard and civilian positions. About 40,000 people would be trimmed starting in fiscal 2006 through 2011, he said.

Drawing down personnel is nothing new for the Air Force as it has reduced active-duty manpower through force shaping initiatives in the past two years to meet congressionally mandated end strength.

However, before any reductions take place, initiatives focused on balancing and reshaping the force would be the first step, said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley.

"Thirteen percent of the officer career fields are stressed … 20 percent of the enlisted career fields are stressed," he said. "We have opportunities to move people into those stressed career fields and balance those across that entire spectrum."

Once the force is balanced then there will be opportunities to move to the Reserve component, the Guard, and Air Force civilian positions, General Moseley said.

"Our overall goal remains to have an effective and efficient Air Force on behalf of the taxpayer," Secretary Wynne said .

“As the Air Force looks at these personnel changes, it needs to determine the optimum size of organizations and number of Airmen needed across the broad spectrum of the force,” said Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray.

“Congress mandates the number of generals, colonels, chief and senior master sergeants based on the size of the force. For example, chief master sergeants make up 1 percent and senior master sergeants make up 2 percent of the force; if the reduction of the active-duty enlisted force was 30,000, the results would be 300 less chief master sergeants to lead our organizations and Air Force specialties,” Chief Murray said.

"We're not just going to cut out the workers of the force," Chief Murray said. "We will shape the force throughout all the ranks, by organizations and (specialties) in order to maintain a strong force."

Any organization forced with cutting personnel faces hard decisions and the Air Force leadership is no exception.

"I will tell you that every one of the people (who) are in the Air Force or in the civilian workforce for the Air Force, have opted into the Air Force to provide value to us," Secretary Wynne said. "We want to make sure that we do everything in our power to manage this problem on a level by making them proud to have been a part of the United States Air Force throughout their career."