The Obama administration wants to bring the Army's total force size down by another 25,000 soldiers by 2018, putting it at loggerheads with recommendations from both the Senate and the House of Representatives, according to a congressional report released this week.
The report, called "How Big Should the Army Be?" examines the reasoning underlying the different positions on the subject. The House proposes increasing the overall size of the armed forces by 5,000, while the Senate wants to cut levels by 15,000.
"The divergence between the administration request and the House and Senate bills reflects differing assessments of a variety of factors, including operational tempo, budgetary constraints, and, most frequently, readiness," the report states.
"For many observers, questions regarding the appropriate end strength of the Army are related to the changing international security landscape, and the perception that those changes are resulting in heightened threats to the United States and its interests abroad. For others, the cost of increasing the size of the Army is the predominant factor."
The size of the army is currently at some 475,000, already making it the smallest force in the U.S. since just before American participation in World War II, when the force numbered only some 270,000, the Army Times reports.
The debate comes, The Washington Free Beacon points out, as the U.S. is stretching its forces around the globe to fight against Islamic terrorism and numerous other threats.
But the Obama administration insists efforts to bolster the Army's end strength would "force the [Defense] Department to take additional risk in training and readiness of the current force, as well as investment in and procurement of future capabilities," according to the White House.
"Adding unnecessary end strength in the manner proposed in the bill would invite a significant, unacceptable risk of creating a future hollow force, in which force structure exists, but the resources to make it ready do not follow."
Military leaders have warned, however, that inadequate funds have severely harmed important projects, including efforts to modernize and develop new equipment.
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