The Air Force asked the Air National Guard to cut “approximately 14,000” people from its 107,000 force, according to CMSgt. Richard Smith, ANG’s top enlisted man. Instead, as Guard leaders already have said, Smith told attendees at the Airlift/Tanker Association convention in Orlando, Fla., Oct. 31, that ANG decided to cut things rather than people. The monetary impact facing ANG is “close to $1.8 billion,” acknowledged Smith.
While the U.S. and its allies up their efforts to build out multi-orbit, multi-constellation satellite communications that are harder for an enemy to disrupt, officials noted technical and cost challenges, particularly for the user in the field.