The U.S. Army, already looking to shrink its force by 27,000 soldiers, is now also trying to cut more than 8,000 civilian jobs.
The plans call for the civilian jobs to be eliminated between now and October 2012, according to an Army official and a memo obtained by CNN.
The memo from Army Secretary John McHugh reads in part, "It is imperative that these reductions be accomplished as rapidly as possible, but no later than the end of FY 2012."
The cuts are part of the Army's plan to comply with the Secretary of Defense's instructions to return to fiscal year 2010 budget levels and keeping in line with the larger federal budget reduction efforts that predate the most recent national debt battle.
