The Air Force Reserve 445th Airlift Wing, which flies troop and cargo missions around the globe from Wright-Patterson, will shut down operations on Fridays when civilian employee furloughs begin, according to unit leaders/.../
The effects of the furlough will be compounded because premiums for fringe benefits like health care and life insurance will be taken out with less pay to cover costs, officials said.
Todd Harrison, a senior fellow with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, said congressional approval to provide the Pentagon with more money for operations and maintenance gave the military flexibility to minimize furlough days.
"If you look past the parochial interest here, the smart way to do this is ... you want to cut the things that are the lowest priority that are going to have the least impact on national security," he said. "That may mean cutting contractors first or that may mean furloughing civilians first. But really, they should make these decisions based on national security" and not on strictly shared sacrifice, he added.