More details on the proposed upcoming resizing of the Army...

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goaliedad

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Interesting that they see the cuts coming more from enlisted because of officer retention problems...

The Army plans to shed soldiers carefully, including through planned departures, separations for medical or behavioral problems, and by scaling back the number of people promoted or allowed to enlist and re-enlist.

One priority would be to make sure that the Army retains its mid-level officers, who routinely take up to 10 years to get to the rank of major or higher. Army leaders struggled through periods of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, using bonuses and other incentives to retain the mid-level officers they needed to command smaller units on the battlefield.

But Army officials also acknowledge that they will be forced to deny the reenlistment of many qualified soldiers, while also continuing to bring in quality recruits.
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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie...ME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-01-25-15-50-39
 
Are they cutting combat brigades or just putting them together to make them smaller? :confused:
 
My take is both.

Fewer brigades means less overhead (administrative, support) that is allocated on a per brigade ratio.

Larger brigades may be more self-sufficient not requiring extra outside support when stretched on missions.

About 10-12% fewer troops when all is said and done.

Sounds like turnover is higher in the officer ranks than enlisted with attrition taking care of reductions in the mid-level officer ranks (which currently need incentives I guess) and more careful screening for re-enlistment taking care of enlisted numbers. I'm guessing it will be a bit cut-throat in the flag officer department...
 
cisco said:
Are they cutting combat brigades or just putting them together to make them smaller? :confused:
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What I heard was cutting combat brigades and remaining combat brigades gets another maneuver battalion.
 
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/...a-says-smaller-military-cutting-edge-012612w/

Panetta announced the Army will be reduced from 547,000 active-duty soldiers to 490,000, while the Marine Corps will be cut to 182,000...
The Army also plans to remove at least eight brigade combat teams from its existing force structure.
“Even with these reductions, the Army and Marine Corps will be larger than they were in 2001,” according to the document titled “Defense Budget Priorities and Choices,” which outlines the investment decisions discussed by Panetta and Dempsey.
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Affecting everybody: Big cuts coming; lower pay raises start in 2015
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/...oming-lower-pay-raises-start-in-2015-012612w/

Although that sounds bad- I think the reality is that Military pay is at least comparable to civilian pay now for equivalent positions. Gotta do something- I would really like to see them target pay to mid grade NCO's as I think that's where the greatest disparity remains and the demographic most critical to the effectiveness of the force.
 
You could have predicted this one with a virtually 100% degree of certainty:

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/01/airforce-5-a10-squadrons-cut-013012/

5 A-10 squadrons to be cut
Tight budgets lead AF to focus on F-35 capabilities
By Jeff Schogol - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Jan 30, 2012 10:01:18 EST
The A-10 Thunderbolt II provides the type of close-air support that ground-pounders love and the Taliban dread. Although the A-10s are workhorses in the war on terrorism, the Air Force in its new budget request is planning to get rid of five squadrons.
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For the Air Force to love an aircraft - it has to go Real Fast, be Real Cool looking, and have a Real Cool nickname to go on that velcro patch (and be real expensive). Actual utility is less of a consideration.
 
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