Army Freezes Civilians

The Army's budget woes continue to deepen. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker has already told Congress that delays in supplemental funding mean that the service can't repair vital equipment fast enough. Now AP reports that the Army is freezing civilian hiring until the end of the fiscal year because of the budget crunch. The service also is canceling or postponing nonessential travel, stopping the shipment of goods unless they're needed for troops, restricting purchase card use, freezing contract awards, and releasing some temporary workers and contract employees.