Guard Cuts Spark Congressional Challenge: A bipartisan group of Senators has launched an effort to foil the Pentagon’s plan to cut National Guard forces. Leading the Capitol Hill crowd are Sen. Christopher Bond (R-Mo.) and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). Government Executive reports that they are asking fellow lawmakers to sign a letter to be sent to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, arguing that cuts to the Guard would not be cost-effective. The Adjutants General Association of the United States have already gone on record against the proposed cuts, expected to surface formally when the Administration releases the 2007 defense budget in early February.
The Air Force is seeking to buy around 108 new aircraft in fiscal 2027—though really, officials wish they could get more. The issue isn’t just more money, according to the service’s No. 2 officer; contractors just aren't able to produce enough aircraft at the present moment, Gen. John Lamontagne said…