Cheney to Cut Top Brass on Staff

WASHINGTON —  Defense Secretary Dick Cheney ordered Monday that the number of generals and admirals assigned to his staff be cut in half.

Cheney directed that 13 of the 27 spots on his personal staff that are saved for Army, Air Force, Marine generals and Navy admirals be eliminated, filled with civilians, or given to lower ranking military officers, a Pentagon statement said.

The effect isn’t necessarily immediate, since the changes will be made when the officers in the present positions finish their tours of duty or move on to their next assignments, the statement said.

The change is in line with the Defense Department’s moves to pare the nation’s armed forces in response to “world changes and tighter budgets,” the statement said. The affected job positions include the adviser for NATO affairs, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for legislative affairs, the assistant inspector general, and the assistant to the assistant to the secretary of defense for atomic energy.