The Pentagon will be reducing the size of the active duty Army by some 80,000 troops over the next several years, from approximately 570,000 today to 490,000.
Even then, the force will still be slightly larger than it was before the 9/11 attacks, military officials point out.
It is easier to grow the ranks of foot soldiers than it is to create a new weapon system, senior US military officials tend to point out. And, these officials add, they feel more comfortable cutting the size of the service when troops have been 鈥渇undamentally reshaped by a decade of war,鈥� as Panetta puts it.
This means that the troops who remain are 鈥渇ar more lethal, battle-hardened, and ready,鈥� he added in remarks to reporters.
General Dempsey, for his part, endeavored to put a positive spin on the decreasing size of the Army, and the growing emphasis on Special Operations. 鈥淭he Special Operations Forces can only be 鈥榮pecial鈥� if there鈥檚 a conventional force that allows them to conduct their operations and shape the environment, so we鈥檝e got to do this all in balance, and I鈥檓 confident we鈥檝e done that.鈥�
