The U.S. Army is weighing a plan to shrink its active-duty force by as many as 90,000 soldiers, which would bring troop levels down to about 360,000 — the smallest number in decades.
The possible cuts come as the Pentagon faces pressure to reduce spending and shift its focus away from years of fighting terrorism and maintaining a strong military presence in Europe. Right now, the Army has about 450,000 active-duty soldiers. Officials say they are reviewing several options that would set the total force somewhere between 360,000 and 420,000 troops.
The move follows an order from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to slash the Defense Department’s budget by 8 percent. Hegseth has also called for rolling back climate initiatives and what he refers to as “woke” policies, though experts say cutting troops is likely to have a far bigger impact on the bottom line than eliminating those programs.
The U.S. is also quietly reducing its presence in Syria. In December, the Pentagon acknowledged there are about 2,000 American troops on the ground — roughly 1,100 more than it had previously disclosed. The Biden administration said the fluctuation in numbers was tied to changing conditions following the fall of the Assad regime. Now, new plans expected to be announced in the coming days will bring that number down to around 1,000.
Even as the Army considers downsizing, it’s still responsible for a long list of global missions — including operations in Africa and the Middle East, and support for NATO allies in Eastern Europe.
Military planners say they want to build a leaner, more flexible Army that can respond quickly to threats. But some officials worry that cutting too many troops, especially without a plan to keep the ones they have, could make it even harder to meet future recruitment goals. While the Army has recently bounced back from a slump in new enlistments, big cuts could send the wrong message to potential recruits.
