NORAD, Northern Command cutting 79 positions

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AP) — Commanders at NORAD and the U.S. Northern Command say they’re reducing staffing by 79 positions amid Defense Department budget cuts.

The command said today that 40 of the positions will be military and 39 civilian. Offices most directly affected include chaplains, history, surgeon general and control systems.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command is a U.S.-Canada command responsible for defending both nations from air attack and for monitoring potential maritime threats.

Northern Command is responsible for the military defense of U.S. soil and supporting civilian agencies in natural or human-caused disasters.

Both have headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., and fall under the same commander.

Officials say the move marks the first cuts since Northern Command was formed in response to the 2001 terrorist attacks.