Army lays out plans to remove 80,000 soldiers; base communities brace for impacts

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Washington Times:

The Army announced a massive restructuring of its force Tuesday, slashing 12 combat brigades and affecting military communities from Georgia to Washington state, as it prepares to cut 80,000 active-duty soldiers from its ranks over the next four years.

Ten of those brigades are within the United States, and two are stationed in Germany. An additional brigade will be cut, although Army officials said they have not decided which one. Brigades are usually about 3,500 troops each, but they can run as high as 5,000 soldiers.

The move will reduce the number of brigades from 45 to 33 and cut about 17,300 active-duty personnel in the United States and roughly 11,700 from Germany. Thousands of other jobs across the service in units that support the brigades also will be cut. Most soldiers in deactivated brigades will be transferred to other units.