The U.S. Army has indicated it is likely to significantly fall short of its target number of troops over the next two years amid what a top general said were “unprecedented challenges” in attracting, training, and retaining soldiers.
Army Gen. Joseph Martin, vice chief of staff for the Army, told a House military personnel panel on Tuesday that the projection for the estimated total number of troops in the force by the end of the 2022 fiscal year, Sept. 30, is 466,400.
The original target end strength for the 2022 fiscal year is 473,000, reported the Army Times. Martin’s estimate would mark a drop of 6,600 from the original target.
Meanwhile, for the end of fiscal year 2023, the Army is projecting a troop size of between 445,000 and 452,000, Martin told lawmakers.
It originally had a target for fiscal year 2023 of 476,000 troops, the Army Times reported. Martin’s Tuesday estimate would mark a drop of 24,000 to 31,000 from the original target.
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11.24.2024