JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The sequestration budget cuts dealt a massive blow to Jacksonville's military.
Many worry the reduction will directly impact our local service members and their families.
For Cindee Wade, the cuts hit close to home. She comes from a family of veterans and her son currently serves in the Air National Guard. It's a job that has taken him on two tours of duty. He spent one tour in Kuwait and the other in Iraq.
"It's very scary, when they're over there you're just terrified," said Wade.
Having her own son serve our country has always been a source of pride but one thing she's not proud of is the massive cuts the military is now facing.
She's worried her son will be a victim the government's failure to act.
"He may lose his job with the air guard," said Wade.
Congressman Ron DeSantis of St. Johns County says nearly half of the sequestration budget cuts affect defense which represents only 20 percent of the budget.
"I just think that you're disproportionately singling out defense and I just don't think that's good policy," said Congressman DeSantis, District 6.
In Jacksonville alone, the Navy faces a $135 million loss in funding needed for aircraft maintenance.
Congressman DeSantis just hopes it doesn’t make our military more vulnerable.
"My hope is that we're not harming national security. We'll have to see how this unfolds," said Congressman DeSantis.
Wade fears that's exactly what will happen. "We need our defense. We need to pay these guys. We need to take care of ourselves first and stop taking care of everyone else," said Wade.
Department of Defense civilian employees will also be impacted. Most will be placed on unpaid furlough status for up to 22 days which will affect more than 30,000 workers in Florida.
