ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) The commander of the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center at Kirtland Air Force Base says budget cuts are hitting the Albuquerque installation's staff and operations but that the safety, security and reliability of the weapons themselves won't be affected.
Maj. Gen. Sandra Finan says the center has laid off 47 civilian workers and restricted hiring while reducing acquisitions and deferring maintenance on non-emergency equipment and facilities. However, the Albuquerque Journal reports that Finan told the Albuquerque Economic Forum on Wednesday that the center remains focused on its weapon work and that she won't let the quality of that work slip.
The center employs about 3,500 people and is the steward and logistics manager for the Air Force's nuclear arsenal.
