Army to Cut Its Forces by 80,000 in 5 Years

[alp227]

Source: nyt

Gen. Ray Odierno, the Army chief of staff, said Tuesday that the Army would institute the largest organizational change since World War II by eliminating combat forces from 10 bases across the United States, part of a planned reduction of 80,000 active-duty troops over the next five years.

The announcement supports the Army’s effort to downsize the active-duty force to 490,000 as the military winds down from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The cuts were a result of the 2011 Budget Control Act that required $487 billion in military spending cuts over a decade. This is the fourth round of budget cuts for the military since President Obama took office.

Under the plan, the Army will cut its brigade combat teams to 33 from 45 by 2017 at bases in Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, New York, North Carolina, Texas and Washington State. A brigade is roughly 3,500 to 5,000 people. Two additional brigades in Germany, at Baumholder and Grafenwöhr, have already been scheduled for elimination this year.

General Odierno said the cutbacks are only a precursor to further action. “There is going to be another reduction,” he said at a Pentagon news conference. “There is no away around it.”

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/26/us/army-to-cut-its-forces-by-80000-in-5-years.html

[Arugula Latte]

1. Slash the weapons systems and close most of the bases.

What a tremendous, colossal waste of money and lives the U.S. military is.

[Sherman A1]

4. Agreed

Well Said!

[silvershadow]

2. It doesn't take nearly as many now that it can be done with a remote controlled video game. nt

[avaistheone1]

3. Glad to hear it.

[4bucksagallon]

5. All for it, if drones can improve their reliability and accuracy.........

Also if there is no Republican in the White House to declare war on Canada. LOL! Hey it's my opinion and I am entitled to it. I don't want any more soldiers to die, who does?

[bemildred]

6. Fire the 850,000 "analysts" at the NSA. nt

[Solly Mack]

7. No surprise there.

[Orsino]

8. Binge and purge. n/t

[jpak]

9. I wonder how many repukes in these states regret the budgetary douchebaggery

that caused federal dollars and jobs to disappear in these states.

Oops!

[eissa]

10. Long overdue

Every single government institution has taken a hit (multiple hits in most cases) for almost two decades. We haven't seen a decent raise in years, our premiums have increased, our budgets slashed, and our workers vilified. Meanwhile, the military continues to grow with our never-ending wars, and budgets to match. Enough.