The U.S. Army is set to undergo a significant restructuring process, aiming to cut around 24,000 jobs, primarily targeting positions that are already vacant. This move is part of an effort to “generate new capabilities and re-balance its force structure,” amid difficulties in meeting recruitment goals. The strategic plan follows a comprehensive assessment of the Army’s force structure over the past year, revealing the service to be “significantly over-structured” with more units than there are soldiers to fill them.
This restructuring aims to optimize the Army’s composition, focusing on increasing the active-duty soldier count to 470,000 by fiscal year 2029, up from the current 445,000. The adjustments will predominantly affect engineering roles, various combat teams, and units with lower deployment rates, alongside reductions in other divisions, totaling around 24,000 positions. However, the plan also includes the addition of 7,500 new roles to introduce new capabilities into the force, particularly in areas such as air-defense and counter-drone operations, alongside the formation of five new global task forces equipped for cyber, intelligence, and long-range strike missions.
The decision to cut jobs reflects the reality of the Army’s recruitment shortfalls, with the service acknowledging the challenge of filling thousands of empty posts in its current structure. Despite the goal of expanding the force, recent years have seen a consistent inability to meet recruitment targets, attributed to various factors including generational shifts in attitudes towards military service and a competitive job market.
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