Word is that the Administration may find big cuts—like the $32 billion proposed by Acting Defense Undersecretary Gordon England (DR 11/07/05)—to the defense budget hard to come by. If you hearken to a Bloomberg News Service report, it won’t be the Democrats curdling the Administration’s cream, but fellow Republicans. There are those who say we must maintain and even increase defense spending in light of the Global War on Terror. Then there’s the view that we must cut everywhere to help pay for the war and recent hurricanes. We haven’t heard the fat lady sing yet.
Airmen and Guardians in the Active and Reserve component, as well as civilian employees, in “mission critical and high-risk populations” are now required to receive influenza vaccinations annually to “preserve force readiness,” according to a recent Department of the Air Force memo.