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2014, March - Congressional Research Service Report covering military draw downs in Europe:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R42493.pdf
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The removal of U.S. Military personnel and U.S. Military equipment from Europe is continuing on a crisis basis, has been accelerated from a 4.5 year plan, to a 2.5 year plan, was disclosed to Congress in detail ( partial detail ) only after it had been underway for more than a year, has not been slowed down as a result of Russian military aggression in Europe, and the planned massive draw down from Europe, originally planned to take 4.5 years, will now be virtually complete six months from today ( completed before September 30th, 2014 ).
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2014, March - Congressional Research Service Report covering draw downs in Europe:Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service, Report wrote:
Army Drawdown and Restructuring: Background and Issues for Congress
February 28th, 2014
Andrew Feickert
Specialist in Military Ground Forces
On June 25, 2013, the Army announced
Army to Accelerate Downsizing
Reports suggest that:
The impact of sequestration [in fiscal 2013], coupled with the threat of continued
sequestration levels of funding, is forcing the Army to implement significant reductions to
end-strength, readiness and modernization in order to generate short-term cost savings, we
are accelerating the downsizing of the Army’s active (duty) component end-strength to 490K by FY15 instead of FY17. Additionally, we will maintain a certain number and mix of units at a
higher level of readiness to meet contingency requirements.
( This 2 year acceleration, was announced just a few months after the original schedule for Europe was, belatedly, disclosed to Congress. )
The implications of shortening the drawdown ( the original schedule for the drawdown, from Europe, was disclosed to Congress just a few months before the acceleration was announced) by two years could be quite profound. A significant level of effort will be involved in the planning and execution of these complex operations. This might also lead to a great deal of turbulence for the soldiers and their families as these units are rapidly disbanded.
How the Army Plans to Achieve Accelerated Downsizing26
In order to achieve this accelerated drawdown ( rapid unit disbanding), the Army reportedly plans to use a “full menu of
involuntary separation programs.”27 This new accelerated plan means the Army will reduce the
Active Component by almost 42,000 soldiers by the end of September 2015 and that many
soldiers with good service records and who are qualified for continued service will be
involuntarily separated from the Army. The Army estimates that 5,000 officers and 20,000
enlisted soldiers will be forced to leave active duty through involuntary separation or early
retirement. Reportedly, for the first time since the 1970s, the Army plans to convene reduction-inforce,
or RIF, boards in early 2014 for captains and majors in over strength year groups. In
addition to involuntary separations, the Army will reduce the number of soldiers and officers
(usually newly commissioned second lieutenants) it brings into the Army each year.
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R42493.pdf
Please Note - all the above unit de-activations, movement of other units from Europe to the U.S., and re-organizations, WERE BEFORE, AND IN ADDITION TO, THE MORE RECENT CUTS ANNOUNCED, by the Obama administration, in January, 2014 ( those more recent announced cutbacks are covered in the linked Congressional Research Service document - but not quoted in this post ).