Army restructuring branch, cuts 24,000 jobs amid recruiting shortfalls

[KARAH RUCKER]

THE ARMY IS SLASHING 24,000 POSITIONS IN A MOVE TO RESTRUCTURE THE MILITARY BRANCH.

THE ARMY SAYS THE FIVE PERCENT OF ITS FORCE BEING CUT WILL BE ALREADY EMPTY POSTS, AS RECRUITMENT SHORTFALLS HAVE PERSISTED.

THERE AREN’T ENOUGH SOLDIERS TO FILL EXISTING UNITS. THE ARMY WON’T BE ASKING ANY SOLDIERS TO LEAVE BUT RATHER WILL REPOSITION THEM TO BETTER PREPARE FOR THE NEXT MAJOR WAR – POTENTIALLY ON NEW TASK FORCES.

THE ARMY SAYS IT IS  CURRENTLY “SIGNIFICANTLY OVER-STRUCTURED,” CITING THOUSANDS OF TROOPS THAT WERE ONCE NEEDED DURING THE IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN WARS BUT ARE NO LONGER IN SUCH DEMAND.

ABOUT 3,000 CUTS WILL COME FROM SPECIAL OPS.

ABOUT 10,000 POSTS WILL BE CUT FROM CAVALRY SQUADRONS, COMBAT TEAMS, AND SECURITY FORCE BRIGADES.

AND ANOTHER 10,000 ENGINEER-LIKE POSITIONS WILL BE SLASHED, ACCORDING TO THE ARMY.

BUT WHILE SOME DEPARTMENTS LOSE POSITIONS OTHERS WILL GAIN.

THE PLAN IS TO ADD 7,500 TROOPS TO OTHER CRITICAL MISSIONS –

INCLUDING AIR-DEFENSE AND COUNTER-DRONE UNITS.

THERE WILL ALSO BE NEW TASK FORCES CREATED TO BETTER ALIGN WITH GROWING THREATS OF TODAY.

NEW UNITS WILL HAVE ENHANCED CYBER, INTELLIGENCE, AND LONG-RANGE STRIKE CAPABILITIES.

THE DECISION TO CUT JOBS COMES AS THE ARMY HAS STRUGGLED FOR YEARS TO FILL THEM ANYWAY.

THE CURRENT STRUCTURE ALLOWS FOR 494,000 SOLDIERS.

UNDER THIS NEW “ARMY RESTRUCTURING” THE GOAL WILL BE TO REACH 470,000.

THERE ARE CURRENTLY 445,000 ACTIVE-DUTY SOLDIERS LISTED.