OTTAWA - More than a year after a major report called for cutting bureaucratic fat at National Defence headquarters, the military is implementing a key recommendation.

The Canadian Forces officially "stood up" Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC) on Friday in a colourful ceremony, combining into one what were individual commands for domestic, foreign and support operations.

"The three commands required about 580 full-time military staff," said Lt.-Gen. Stuart Beare, who'll lead CJOC. "At the end of this transition we'll be able to conduct the same business with about 450, so we're saving 25% of our military structure."

The military has not said how much money the move will save taxpayers.

Lt.-Gen. (ret.) Andrew Leslie led a team that put together a report in 2011 about how to save $1 billion by slashing the 20,000 staff at headquarters in Ottawa, and shrinking spending on consultants and contractors by 30%

Leslie tells QMI Agency he considers CJOC an "excellent first step."

"This is perhaps the easiest of the over 40 recommendations my team made," he said. "The whole idea is to preserve resources for the troops, the sailors and the air crew, who actually go off and do the missions."

However, Leslie says there is a lot more work to do to reduce headquarters staff.

That work will be up to Lt.-Gen. Tom Lawson after he becomes chief of defence staff, taking over from Gen. Walt Natynczyk later this month.

"I'm sure he's up to it," Leslie said. "We'll see."