The U.S. Army is cutting 24,000 positions as the Pentagon continues to shift its priority to countering Chinese and Russian military might after two decades of focusing on the fight against terrorism, according to a new Army document.
The cuts are in line with the national defense strategy begun by President Donald J. Trump and largely endorsed by the Biden administration that emphasizes rising threats to the United States from an emboldened Russia and China.
Army numbers swelled to almost 600,000 during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but the end of those conflicts has contributed to a steady decrease as soldiers returned to the garrison.
The job cuts, reported earlier by The Associated Press, also implicitly acknowledge the recruiting woes that have plagued the Army — and indeed, other military services — in recent years. The Army, the Navy and the Air Force failed to meet recruiting goals last year. Army officials have been traveling to college campuses in urban areas to try to tap into underrepresented communities for recruits.
The cuts will mainly be in already-empty posts — not actual soldiers — including in jobs related to counterinsurgency that swelled during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars but are not needed as much today. About 3,000 of the cuts would come from Army special operations forces.
At the same time, however, the plan will add about 7,500 troops in other critical missions, including air-defense and counter-drone units and five new task forces around the world with enhanced cyber, intelligence and long-range strike capabilities.
Jobs are not people. Russia and China aren't 'new' threats, so you cut some jobs from the middle east postings and you move those personnel over to different AOs. Like, everybody needs IT guys but...
Jobs are not people. Russia and China aren't 'new' threats, so you cut some jobs from the middle east postings and you move those personnel over to different AOs.
Like, everybody needs IT guys but Baghdad is only getting three now instead of six and the other three will go to Germany to fill already existing positions. Same six troops but less jobs to go around.
It's part of the very next section after the quote: So legally they're supposed to drop all the way to ~445k, but they're only cutting to ~575k, recognizing that recruiting has been slow and that...
It's part of the very next section after the quote:
...the cuts will “allow the Army to narrow the gap between force structure, which was designed to accommodate 494,000 soldiers, and current active-duty end strength, which is set by law at 445,000.” The goal now, according to the document, will be to bring an Army end strength of 470,000.
So legally they're supposed to drop all the way to ~445k, but they're only cutting to ~575k, recognizing that recruiting has been slow and that they might want to hold on to the trained folks they've already got in the absence of recruiters hitting the marks that were expected.
As I understand it, the US Army's budget is capped, so these job cuts will allow budgets to be taken from departments focused on areas such as the Middle East, and reallocate that funding towards...
As I understand it, the US Army's budget is capped, so these job cuts will allow budgets to be taken from departments focused on areas such as the Middle East, and reallocate that funding towards jobs more focused on China and Russia. What I'm not sure of is whether or not this means people who's jobs have been cut are essentially fired, or if they're just being shifted to new positions focused on China and Russia.
Can someone help me parse this? It seems contrary to cut jobs when a new threat is identified and recruitment is down.
Military jobs aren't fungible.
Jobs are not people. Russia and China aren't 'new' threats, so you cut some jobs from the middle east postings and you move those personnel over to different AOs.
Like, everybody needs IT guys but Baghdad is only getting three now instead of six and the other three will go to Germany to fill already existing positions. Same six troops but less jobs to go around.
It's part of the very next section after the quote:
So legally they're supposed to drop all the way to ~445k, but they're only cutting to ~575k, recognizing that recruiting has been slow and that they might want to hold on to the trained folks they've already got in the absence of recruiters hitting the marks that were expected.
As I understand it, the US Army's budget is capped, so these job cuts will allow budgets to be taken from departments focused on areas such as the Middle East, and reallocate that funding towards jobs more focused on China and Russia. What I'm not sure of is whether or not this means people who's jobs have been cut are essentially fired, or if they're just being shifted to new positions focused on China and Russia.