Pentagon to Obey Congress’ Order to Reduce Officers

Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger has told Congress the Pentagon will comply with a directive to reduce the number of officers on active duty this year but will study the wisdom of such cuts.

Weinberger, in a letter dated Feb. 2 to the House and Senate Armed Services committees, said the four military services would have to cut roughly 3,100 officers from their current rolls over the next eight months to comply with a congressional directive approved last year.

However, Weinberger continued, the directive’s effect will be more far-reaching because the services had planned an increase in officer strength this year. That means the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy will have to eliminate 5,259 officer slots from their original manning plans by Sept. 30.

That will leave the services with 305,708 officers by the end of the fiscal year, Weinberger said.