Budget cuts jobs at BC Air Guard base

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (WOOD) - The Air Force has proposed adding more than two dozen guardsmen and reserve troops -- but eliminating a current 147 positions -- at the Battle Creek Air National Guard Base as part of Pentagon budget cuts.

The budget for the 2013 fiscal year proposes scrapping the proposed C-27J Cargo Plane program, and instead basing a unit that will control unmanned aerial drones at the Battle Creek Air National Guard Base.

An updated proposal by the Air Force laid out the personnel changes that would come with the change in mission.

The jobs are broken into three categories: Drill, Active Guard/Reserve and Technical/Civilian. The budget proposal would add 25 guardsmen to the base, but cut 93 Drill positions and 54 Techincal/Civilian jobs.  

The Selfridge Air National Guard base would see deeper cuts under the Pentagon proposal. Selfridge would lose 542 Drill positions, 19 Active Guard/Reserve spots and 163 Technical/Civilian jobs.  

U.S. Senator Carl Levin (D-Mich), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released a statement Tuesday about the planned changes:

"I have told the Air Force and the Air National Guard to provide me with the methodology and justification for these plans. The Armed Services Committee has scheduled a hearing with Air Force Secretary Donley and Chief of Staff General Schwartz on March 20, and I will question them on their proposals at that time."

Battle Creek ANG Numbers:

Current:
847 Drill
103 AGR
124 Tech/Civ.

Proposed 2013 staffing:
754 Drill
128 AGR
70 Tech/Civ.

The changes amount to a total of 122 jobs lost.