Army floats cutting 90,000 active duty soldiers

The Army is weighing a historic reduction of up to 90,000 active‑duty soldiers—roughly one in five troops—as planners model end‑strengths between 360,000 and 420,000, according to an internal review first reported by Military.com.

The deliberations follow Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s February order for every service to carve out 8 percent savings, a move meant to bankroll high‑tech weapons aimed at China.

Pentagon officials stress the study is preliminary, but some warn that trimming the ranks without a retention plan could bleed talent just as the Army claws out of its recruiting slump. “If we reduce the force without a clear retention strategy, we risk losing talented people who have other options,” said one defense official.

The potential draw‑down lands amid competing missions: Army formations are still reinforcing NATO’s eastern flank, running counter‑terror operations in Africa and the Middle East, and expanding exercises across the Pacific. Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker (R‑Miss.) cautioned Thursday that any “retreat from Europe” would be “deeply misguided.”

If approved, the cut would dwarf last year’s 24,000‑position trim tied to counter‑insurgency roles and mark the service’s largest contraction since the post‑Cold War draw‑down.

Congress will have the final say. Lawmakers from both parties are already signaling resistance, setting up a fight over how—or whether—the Pentagon can get lean while staying ready.