US Army considers major cuts of troops amid budget pressures, strategic shifts

The US Army is considering a significant reduction of up to 90,000 active-duty soldiers, reflecting increasing fiscal pressures at the Pentagon and a strategic shift away from Europe and counterterrorism missions.

According to defense officials, internal discussions are exploring reducing the Army's size to between 360,000 and 420,000 troops, down from its current strength of around 450,000. If implemented, this would mark one of the most substantial force reductions in recent years, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The potential cuts are linked to a broader Pentagon effort to trim its budget by 8 per cent, as directed by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. Hegseth, a vocal critic of what he describes as "woke" initiatives in the military, has also scrutinized efforts addressing climate change, which has been recognized as a national security issue. However, eliminating these programs alone would not achieve the required savings, suggesting that cuts to combat forces are likely inevitable.

As the Army balances legacy counterterrorism missions in Africa and the Middle East with new priorities in the Pacific to counter China, these reductions come at a time when the Army is stretched thin. Furthermore, the Army has played a key role in supporting NATO's defence against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a mission that President Donald Trump’s administration often criticized.

Despite the discussions, the Army has not specified where cuts would occur or if they would include the Reserve or National Guard. A defence official noted that reviews often examine a variety of scenarios, and no final decisions have been made. Some officials have expressed concerns that such cuts could exacerbate recruitment difficulties and push skilled personnel to other opportunities. "If we reduce the force without a clear retention strategy, we risk losing talented people who have other options," another official warned.

Further complicating the decision-making is a broader debate about the role of the Army in future conflicts. Austin Dahmer, a former national security adviser, argued in a white paper that scaling back the Army could allow for reallocating funds to the Air Force and Navy, especially in light of potential conflicts in the Pacific. However, reducing the Army’s size significantly would likely impact light infantry brigades, which are critical in urban warfare.

The Army's recruiting challenges, particularly in meeting ambitious enlistment quotas, also remain a concern as the service attempts to recover from a years-long slump. Despite these challenges, the Army is on track to meet its enlistment goals for this year, aided by pre-basic training programs designed to help applicants who initially fail to meet physical or academic standards.

By Vafa Guliyeva