Reduction of capacity by about 5%… Including about 3,000 special forces deployed to Afghanistan and elsewhere.
Prepare for future wars by increasing cyber warfare and long-range precision strike units.
The U.S. Army has decided to reduce 24,000 personnel, or about 5% of its personnel, within five years to prepare for future wars.
Instead of reducing counter-terrorism units, the plan is to reorganize the force structure for future warfare by increasing cyber warfare and long-range precision strike units.
According to the Associated Press on the 27th (local time), the U.S. Army revealed this plan through a white paper titled ‘Army Force Structure Transformation’ released on this day.
The U.S. Army said in a white paper that it plans to reduce the number of Army personnel from the current 494,000 to 470,000 by fiscal year 2029.
The U.S. Army said it includes about 3,000 special forces whose need for retention was reduced after the U.S. military ended its war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan.
On the other hand, it adds about 7,500 troops in areas needed to fight on a large scale in future warfare, including air defense and anti-drone units. In particular, it will complete five new task forces with enhanced cyber, intelligence, and long-range strike capabilities, the Army said.
The U.S. Army explained that this reorganization does not mean reducing the actual number of soldiers by reducing the legally permitted number of personnel.
In fact, due to the recruitment shortage, the number of active-duty army personnel is currently 445,000, which is short of the quota of 494,000. Instead of reducing the number of troops, the U.S. Army plans to increase the number of active-duty troops to 470,000 over five years. The United States abolished conscription in 1973 and switched to a 100% volunteer military system.
As the U.S. military waged wars in Iraq and Afghanistan over a 20-year period, it was forced to quickly and dramatically increase its forces to fill the ranks of troops deployed to the front lines. This includes the fight against al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and the Islamic State (IS).
But over time, the U.S. military’s focus shifted to great power competition with adversaries China and Russia and countering threats such as Iran and North Korea. The war in Ukraine has brought to light the need to strengthen air defense systems and advanced technological capabilities to combat drones.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.