US army to slash brigades at 10 bases in huge restructuring: Report
A member of the US Army Old Guard stands guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery on May 27, 2013 in Arlington, Virginia.
The US Army is cutting down the number of active duty combat brigades at 10 bases nationwide as part of a longterm plan to bring the armed forces down by 80,000 troops, according to the Associated Press.
The move will decreases the number of active duty combat brigades at the bases from 45 to 33 by 2017, said the AP, citing unnamed army sources. These soldiers will be moved to other locations.
The restructuring comes as the US Army is trying to downsize to a total of 490,000 soldiers in order to help rein in Washington's massive defense budget and contain costs in uncertain economic times, said the AP.
The 10 bases in question are: Texas' Fort Hood and Fort Bliss, North Carolina's Fort Bragg, Kentucky's Fort Knox and Fort Campbell, Colorado's Fort Carson, New York's Fort Drum, Kansas' Fort Riley, Georgia's Fort Stewart, and Washington's Joint Base Lewis-McChord, according to the AP.
A formal announcement on the plan could come as soon as late Tuesday.