Defense Secretary William Cohen has named a new panel to recommend ways to streamline and reorganize the department's business operations. Army officials fighting to stave off more troop cuts say their workforce already has been slashed to the bone, making it difficult to keep up with increasing deployments. A DoD study recommends outsourcing prime support functions. More and more federal employees and contractors are donning uniforms for military operations as a scaled-back Defense Department looks outside its ranks for technical expertise. The Defense Department has been cutting staff faster than any other American institution.
More cuts are to come, even as the pace of military operations remains high.
Military installations scheduled for downsizing or closure are taking the initiative in helping their employees move on. As President Clinton accelerates the defense drawdown, here's a look at prospects for military and civilian workers in each of the armed services.