Letter to the editor

Regarding the current size of the Defense Department workforce: It has changed little in recent years because a shadow workforce, made up of retirees, is performing a significant amount of work ["DOD sees danger in cuts"]. That is how nearly the same amount of work is getting done—not all, I might add.

The is no shortage of contracting-out dollars, and business is booming for the Beltway Bandits, who hire former military and civilian personnel who don't need to be trained (because they're doing the same work they did before retiring), and who in general work without benefits (they already have them).

Signed,

55 in 28 months

(Name withheld by request)