Air Force would cut 20,400 airmen, 2,700 civilian jobs under budget proposal

The Air Force would cut 20,400 airmen and about 2,700 civilian jobs and retire dozens of planes under a $109.3 billion fiscal year 2015 budget request focused on replacing an aging aircraft fleet and boosting readiness hurt through sequestration, a budget document shows.

The call for military cuts comes as some in Congress have alleged the Obama administration has weakened U.S. defenses around the world and allowed Russian President Vladimir Putin to aggressively move forces into Ukraine. The reductions reflect shrinking defense budgets because of sequestration, or automatic spending reductions, and the end of nearly 13 years of war as U.S. forces prepare to withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of the year.