Army Set to Cut Special Operation Forces
Army Set to Cut Special Operation Forces
The Wall Street Journal reported that the Army plans to cut back about 3,000 troops, or nearly 10% from its special operation forces
Jeffrey Rodack - OCTOBER 6, 2023
The U.S. Army, hit by recruitment problems and a shift in focus from Middle East counterterrorism operations to a China threat, is set to make major cuts to its famed special operations forces.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the Army plans to cut back about 3,000 troops, or nearly 10% from its special operation forces, possibly including some from the Green Beret commando units.
The special ops forces have been involved in some of the most dangerous missions around the world.
The Army plans to brief congressional lawmakers in the coming days on the cutbacks.
According to the Journal, the cutbacks would allow the Army to rebalance toward a large conventional ground force, which would be needed for any potential fight in Asia.
But those opposed to the cuts, including senior special ops officers, maintain the reductions could get in the way of training U.S. allies, like the Ukrainian and Taiwanese militaries.
"It's why the Ukrainian army has been so lethal against the Russians — it's undeniable, why would you cut that?" said one person familiar with the proposal. "Anyone can squeeze the trigger, but in order to hit something, you gotta be trained."
The cutbacks could still be overturned by Congress.
The special operations command also includes Navy SEALs, a special reconnaissance force from the Marine Corps, and Air Force special operators. The newspaper, citing data from the Government Accountability Office, said special operations has increased to about 75,000 from 45,000 since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The Army accounts for about half of those forces.
It was the Special Operations Command which oversaw the search and killing of Osama bin Laden.
The Army is also trying to come to terms with a multiyear recruiting crisis amid a strong economy. This year, it fell short of a 65,000-soldier recruiting goal by 15,000 people.
The Army has been struggling to shore up its recruiting for fiscal 2023 and halt the sharp decline in end strength, Military Times reported late last year.
"The Army is in a moment of transformation," Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said this week. "There are new capabilities that we need to bring into the fore."
But Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., a member of the Armed Services Committee, maintained special operations forces remain relevant. He said the Pentagon should provide an analysis of the trade-offs of trimming special forces.
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/army-special-operations-cuts/2023/10/06/id/1137247/