U.S. Army to reduce forces by 40,000 soldiersJuly 8, 2015 - 10:44 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The U.S. Army is to reduce the size of its force by 40,000 soldiers over the next two years, BBC News reports. The cost-cutting exercise will also see an additional 17,000 civilian employees cut from the army. The plan, which could be officially announced later this week, would see the U.S. troop level drop to about 450,000 soldiers by the end of 2017. The U.S. army had about 570,000 troops in 2012 at the height of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. A drastic cut like this has long been on the table - in early 2014, the then Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel proposed trimming the active-duty Army to 450,000 personnel, after two costly foreign wars. Nearly 10,000 U.S. troops still remain in Afghanistan after plans for a gradual withdrawal were delayed until 2016. In Iraq, there are about 3,500 military personnel helping Iraqi forces take on the Islamic State (IS) group. There are also U.S. troops being used to train Syrian rebels against IS, but it was revealed that only 60 Syrians are in training. The planned army staffing levels would be the lowest since 1940, a year before the U.S. entered World War Two, when it employed about 270,000 active-duty soldiers. A year before the Sept 11, 2001 attacks, the level was about 480,000. The army would have to cut a further 30,000 troops if automatic budget cuts known as sequestration come into effect in October. Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |