Published on Saturday, August 23, 2008
By JOE VARGO
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE - For decades, the people who fueled the cargo planes and transports at March Air Reserve Base wore military uniforms.
So did the meteorologists who provided pilots and crews with the latest weather information.
Ditto for the people who repaired the base's heating and air-conditioning systems and repaired the cars, trucks and specialty rigs used to load and unload the big planes.
No more. They've been replaced by civilians.
It's part of an ongoing effort dictated by the downsizing of the U.S. military. Today, those wearing uniforms concentrate on war fighting skills and training. Civilian contractors increasingly are taking jobs not involved with fighting or directly supporting military missions and deployments.
At March, the military's largest reserve base, more than 250 jobs formerly performed by uniformed airmen now fall to civilian contractors. Most are former soldiers, including some with service in Iraq
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