Top Army General Backs Obama Plan To Reduce Troops
By KUNA
The US Army’s Chief of Staff General Ray Odierno on Friday backed the Obama administration’s plans to cut troops stationed abroad by 14 percent.
Speaking to reporters in the Pentagon, the Army’s top general defended Obama’s plan saying it will allow for a gradual reduction in the size of the Army through “natural attrition”.
The Army will have until September 2017 to cut forces to 490,000 from 570,000, approximately when US troops will leave Afghanistan.
“Now that we’re out of Iraq, now that we’re reducing our presence in Afghanistan, we can now reduce the size of the Army,” said Odierno, “I feel very comfortable with that.”
The Army also plans to retain a group of officers and sergeants to help rebuild its ranks quickly if a crisis occurs.
The plan outlined by President Barack Obama cuts USD 487 billion from growth in the Pentagon’s budget over the next 10 years.
