When it comes to personnel, the Joint world has been a growth industry-for military members and civilians alike. As seen in this chart, the so-called "purple" force had a shade more than 140,000 members in 2001. In 2012, it neared 200,000. The force has ballooned in joint commands, defense agencies, Joint staff, and the like, and this does not include contractor civilians. The Office of the Secretary of Defense alone numbers around 2,700. The Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff weighs in at 4,244 people (some of whom came from the now-defunct Joint Forces Command). Budget pressure has made the joint world a fat target, says a new report from the Center for a New American Security, a Washington, D.C., think tank. "Before the military considers painful cuts to end strength and combat capabilities," says CNAS, "the excess overhead of staff and headquarters should be reduced."
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