Creative Way Military Bases are Cutting Back

Across the Armed Forces personnel are bracing for larger cuts, but are starting to save money at the basic level.

At Japan's Yokota Air Base, an energy conservation plan is put into place that officials say will save roughly $36,500 a day according to a Stars and Stripes news report.

In light of recent warmer temperatures bases are set to  shut off heating near the end of March, one month earlier than in years past.

“We’re starting to really carefully consider what we can do here at team Yokota to get us through this financial challenge,” Yokota commander Col. Mark August said. “We’re going to be talking a lot more to our airmen, we’re going to be talking a lot more to our families and everyone here at team Yokota as to how we can start looking at areas that we can all save a little bit more.”

Those cuts hurt much less than weighing the impending employee furloughs to hit Fort Bragg soon. Longtime civilian employee, Angela Hickam said they've been advised to be prepared to move to a four day work week - meaning four days of pay rather than five.

In addition to the employee furloughs, Pentagon officials also are weighing cuts to military contracts, training, construction and maintenance, something else that will hit Fort Bragg and other posts and bases around the world hard.