The U.S. Army has released a whitepaper detailing plans for restructuring, including reductions and expansions in different areas.
The document was released as part of the Army’s shift from counterinsurgency to large-scale combat operations against technologically advanced adversaries, as stated by Army Secretary Christine Wormuth.
The restructuring aims to accommodate new capabilities being introduced as part of a significant modernization effort spanning the next two decades.
The changes will create 7,500 new positions for soldiers, offset by a reduction of 32,000 spaces to address both over-structure and recruitment challenges, leading to a “hollow force structure.”
The Army’s current force structure is 445,000 active-duty soldiers, with plans to increase to approximately 470,000 by fiscal 2029.
The planned restructuring will focus more on corps and division-level operations and less on brigade combat teams.
The whitepaper emphasizes aligning force structure with end strength to maintain readiness, transform recruiting efforts, and provide strategic flexibility.
The U.S. military is at its smallest size since before World War II, with recruitment numbers at their lowest since 1941.
Pentagon officials highlight challenges in recruiting from Gen Z, contributing to the smallest active-duty troop numbers since before the U.S. entered World War II.
Congress passed a $886 billion defense bill, reducing active-duty troops to 1,284,500 from 1.39 million in 2023, prompting calls for a “national call to service.”
Recruitment challenges persist across the Army, Navy, and Air Force, with only the Marine Corps and Space Force meeting their targets. The services missed 2023 recruitment targets by a combined 41,000 personnel.
