House subcommittee says funding will keep command at current levelJust weeks away from standing up as the Defense Department’s newest combatant command, Africa Command is facing a serious budget shortfall. For fiscal 2009, President Bush had requested $389 million for AFRICOM, which is expected to become fully operational on Oct. 1 at its Stuttgart, Germany, headquarters. But last week, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on defense recommended providing only $80.6 million in funding — 80 percent less than was requested, according to Matthew Mazonkey, communications director for Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., the subcommittee chairman. "The subcommittee has provided $80.6 million to...