Robert Gates announces axing of major US military command

Facing severe resource crunch, US defence department has announced axing one of the ten major military commands as part of far-reaching proposals to cut back on spiraling military spending and the over-reliance on contractors.

Defence secretary Robert Gates said the US joint forces command would close, the use of outside contractors would be cut and the number of generals and admirals reduced.

The command, which is based in Norfolk, Virginia, has an annual budget of $240 million and 2,800 military and civilian employees. It is one of the defence department's 10 "combatant commands."

Read more