Military To Lay Off Sailors And Airmen

You know things are bad when the military has to fire/lay off service men and women.
From Fox News:
With more sailors staying in the military amid a slumping economic recovery, the U.S. Navy is taking the unprecedented step of firing low-ranking petty officers to help rein in spending.
The Navy plans to let go of 3,000 young sailors after economic uncertainty put the service in the unusual position of having a manpower surplus.
The move comes as a new government report shows that the unemployment rate ticked up to 9.2 percent -- marking 29 straight months that number has been over 8 percent and a record streak since the Great Depression.
In August, the Navy will convene a board to review the cases of 16,000 sailors and eliminate 3,000 positions, about 1 percent of the force. Navy officials say the jobs cuts will be based on experience and individual performance records. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/07/08/navy-to-cut-jobs-amid-recession-driven-sailor-surplus/#ixzz1RZG0Qxc4
Further: The Air Force retention rates are also up to a 6-year high, causing it to convene a similar reduction-in -force board. The Air Force will review the records of more than 9,000 officers, mostly majors, and roughly 400 are expected to be let go...
Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced in January that as the wars come to a close in 2015 the Pentagon has plans to cut active-duty soldiers by 27,000 and reduce the Marine Corps by roughly 15,000.
In October, the Army will begin cutting its ranks by 22,000 -- and that means even more job seekers in a market with fewer and fewer good jobs.
This says more about the economy more than anything else. Hopefully, these young men and women will be able to find a job in the military instead of being laid off. Those that join the military are some of the best and brightest individuals in the United States and it would be a shame if we lose their service.