Gen. Mark Welsh, U.S. Air Force chief of staff, has told a House defense subcommittee that he believes budget cuts are harming the combatant commanders’ future capabilities, American Forces Press Service reported Thursday.
Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone Marshall Jr. writes that Welsh testified before the House Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee to discuss how budget cuts affect the Air Force’s national security programs.
Welsh told legislators that the service looked to reduce its workforce in order to balance training requirements in fiscal year 2016 and trim aircraft fleets to meet savings caps, according to the report.
He also said that cutting the A-10 fleet could help save $3.7 billion for future defense programs, the report says.
An operational analysis conducted by the service indicated that reducing the A-10 fleet posed the lowest risk, he added.
Welsh said budget reductions also have halted the U.S. military’s modernization plan, Marshall reports.
