Hegseth orders Army to cut costs by merging some commands and slashing
jobs
[May 02, 2025]
By LOLITA C. BALDOR
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army is planning a sweeping transformation that
will merge or close headquarters, dump outdated vehicles and aircraft,
slash as many as 1,000 headquarters staff in the Pentagon and shift
personnel to units in the field, according to a new memo and U.S.
officials familiar with the changes.
In a memo released Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the
transformation to “build a leaner, more lethal force.” Discussions about
the changes have been going on for weeks, including decisions to combine
a number of Army commands.
Col. Dave Butler, an Army spokesman, said the potential savings over
five years would be nearly $40 billion.
U.S. officials said as many as 40 general officer slots could be cut as
a result of the restructuring. They spoke on condition of anonymity to
discuss personnel issues.
The changes come as the Pentagon is under pressure to slash spending and
personnel as part of the broader federal government cuts pushed by
President Donald Trump's administration and ally Elon Musk's Department
of Government Efficiency.
In his memo, Hegseth said the Army must eliminate wasteful spending and
prioritize improvements to air and missile defense, long-range fires,
cyber, electronic warfare and counter-space capabilities.
Specifically, he said the Army must merge Army Futures Command and
Training and Doctrine Command into one entity and merge Forces Command,
Army North and Army South into a single headquarters “focused on
homeland defense and partnership with our Western Hemisphere allies.”
In addition, he called for the Army to consolidate units, including
Joint Munitions Command and Sustainment Command, as well as operations
at various depots and arsenals.
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Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arrives for a National Day of
Prayer event in the Rose Garden of the White House, Thursday, May 1,
2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Officials said that while the mergers will result in fewer staff
positions, there won't be a decrease in the Army's overall size.
Instead, soldiers would be shifted to other posts.
On the chopping block would be legacy weapons and equipment
programs, such as the Humvee and some helicopter formations, along
with a number of armor and aviation units across the active duty
forces, National Guard and Reserve. The units were not identified.
A key issue, however, will be Congress.
For years, lawmakers have rejected Army and Pentagon efforts to kill
a wide range of programs, often because they are located in members'
home districts.
Defense Department and service leaders learned long ago to spread
headquarters, depots, troops and installations across the country to
maximize congressional support. But those efforts also have stymied
later moves to chop programs.
It's unclear whether the House and Senate will allow all of the cuts
or simply add money back to the budget to keep some intact.
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