'100% Operational Control': Hegseth Ordering 3K Troops, Stryker Combat Vehicles to US-Mexico Border

The Army plans to reduce its active-duty force by as many as 90,000 troops as the Trump administration requires Pentagon budget cuts and shifts its strategic focus from Europe and Third World counterinsurgency operations to confronting Chinese expansion. This comes on the heels of Biden reducing the Army by 24,000 in 2024 to cover up the recruiting disaster; see .

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced he planned an 8 percent cut in Defense spending in February.

“That’s not a cut; it’s refocusing and reinvesting existing funds into building the force that protects you, the American people,” Hegseth said. 

He also said there are certain areas where funds will not be refocused — border protection, fighting transnational criminal organizations, nuclear modernization, submarine programs, missile defense, drone technology, cybersecurity, core readiness, and training, and the defense industrial base among them.

   

 This is not what is driving Army force reductions. The administration has been very clear that it no longer considers NATO or counterinsurgency operations. The incoming Undersecretary for Policy, Elbridge Colby, has made it abundantly clear that the Indo-Pacific Theater is America’s primary focus.

Colby that the military threat posed by Beijing is far more potent and concerning than is generally understood in Washington. In turn, he argues that US military resources need to be redeployed from Europe and the Middle East to the Pacific to better deter China. American military resources, especially naval resources, are currently spread too thin; amid an inadequate defense industrial base which produces warships far too slowly and expensively, this overstretch is increasing maintenance delays and crew exhaustion. At the same time, the People’s Liberation Army is ramping up its production of highly capable missiles and warships, demonstrating the likelihood that the US military would lose a war over Taiwan.

Colby’s top deputy, former Josh Hawley (R-MO) national security adviser and current Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Austin Dahmer, has been even clearer about the Army’s looming irrelevance.

“One of the largest bill payers in resourcing the strategy of denial should be the Army. This is because the size of the Army’s large-scale land maneuver forces is principally scaled to the threat of Russian invasion of NATO territory,” Dahmer wrote in Resourcing the Strategy of Denial: Optimizing the Defense Budget in Three Alternative Futures. “Large-scale land maneuver forces are of much less utility in the vast maritime and littoral theater of the Western Pacific.”

When the Army went through its “Peace Dividend” phase, one senior Pentagon civilian said, “Without a Soviet threat in Europe, there is no logical floor to the size of the Army.” The same is true today. It is difficult to find a role for a large Army if the “main adversary” is China. The anticipated cuts will reduce the Army’s current strength of 450,000 to 360,000 – 420,000. These are uncharted waters. To put those numbers in context, the Army hasn’t been that small since 1939.

Managing the reduction will require strength and integrity from everyone involved. The Army will strive to keep higher headquarters fully staffed while reducing tactical units to cadre status or retiring unit colors.

If I step out of my green suit for a moment and look at the big picture, I can’t disagree. The Navy is short of ships, particularly Merchant Marine vessels that keep the Navy operational. Currently, the Navy leases civilian oilers to refuel its surface combatants, which is not sustainable in wartime. It is also scrapping ships faster than it is commissioning them, and it literally has more admirals than warships. The Air Force is short on strategic airlift and tankers. As we are currently configured, the Chinese could push us out of the Western Pacific without much effort.

As with anything else, this strategy comes with risk. It is predicated on the idea that a much smaller Army will be adequate to meet national security demands everywhere else. Looking at our track record post-World War II, I’m not sure we’ve been all that successful in predicting where conflicts will break out.

FIGHT to get 60% off your membership.

You May Also Like
Gurnee pedestrian killed: Vigil held for Amber Knowles, woman fatally struck by truck in Gurnee on Delany Road

Vigil Honoring Amber Knowles, Pedestrian Fatally Struck by Truck in Gurnee on Delany Road

GURNEE, Ill. (WLS) — A vigil was held Friday for a 33-year-old…
Iconic 80s A-lister who starred in cult classic movie looks unrecognizable on rare public outing

A-List Star from 80s Cult Classic Movie Appears Unrecognizable in Rare Public Appearance

Don’t you forget about this Hollywood actress… For the Eighties star looked…
Russell Brand grins as he is seen in public in the US for the first time after being charged with rape and sexual assault in Britain

Russell Brand spotted smiling in public for the first time in the US following charges of rape and sexual assault in Britain

Russell Brand, a well-known actor and comedian, has recently been seen in…
Russell Brand breaks his silence as he is charged with rape and sexual assaults against four women over six years

Russell Brand speaks out after being accused of raping and sexually assaulting four women over a span of six years

Russell Brand, the actor and comedian, has addressed accusations of rape, indecent…
Florida police arrest man for making 'written threats to kill' Trump

Man in Florida arrested for making written threats to kill President Trump

A Florida man was arrested on Friday after allegedly making posts on…
First private SpaceX polar mission splashes down near California

SpaceX completes first private mission to the South Pole, landing close to California

A SpaceX capsule carrying four private astronauts who orbited the north and south…
Army may slash 90,000 troops as Pentagon faces budget cuts and strategic shake-up: report

Report says Pentagon might reduce 90,000 troops due to budget cuts and strategic changes

As reported by Military.com, the U.S. Army is quietly contemplating a significant…
Top MAGA allies knife Trump on tariffs and warn of 'political bloodbath'

Trump receives criticism from top allies over tariffs, warned of potential political repercussions

The MAGA movement is at a critical juncture as devoted conservatives start…
Beware: People Who Say Paying Taxes Is Patriotic, Always Want to Make You Pay More

Watch out: Individuals advocating for the idea that paying taxes is a form of patriotism typically aim to increase the amount you have to pay.

Whenever a political figure or a leftist mentions that “paying taxes is…
Iowa student’s passport seizure in Dominican Republic raises red flags for Americans traveling: What to know

Americans traveling to the Dominican Republic should be aware of the Iowa student’s passport seizure: Important information to keep in mind

The seizing of an Iowa college student’s passport while under investigation in…
Florida woman pries 6-foot alligator’s jaws open to save pet dog

Florida woman rescues pet dog by prying open jaws of 6-foot alligator

During an evening stroll, a woman in Florida bravely rescued her cherished…
Illegal immigrant charged after Virginia man found stabbed to death in stranger's home: ICE

ICE charges illegal immigrant after Virginia man is found murdered in stranger’s home

A Salvadoran illegal immigrant has been arrested and charged after allegedly stabbing…