The Air Force may be backing off its plan to cut about 30 general officers as part of its overall effort to cut some 40,000 people by the end of Fiscal 2009. A service official said that Air Force leaders believe the service needs more star power in joint billets. There is no official word yet on just how many generals will be cut.
Amid a high-profile recruiting crisis, Air Force leaders and experts have increasingly noted the challenging long-term trends the service will face in enticing young Americans to sign up—decreasing eligibility to serve, less propensity to do so, and less familiarity with the military. But while those same leaders say there’s no “silver…