WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army plans to slash the number of combat brigades from 45 to as low as 32 in a broad restructuring of its fighting force aimed at cutting costs and reducing the service by about 80,000 soldiers, according to U.S. officials familiar with the plans.
Officials said the sweeping changes will likely increase the size of each combat brigade — generally by adding another battalion — in a long-term effort to ensure that those remaining brigades have the fighting capabilities they need when they go to war. A brigade is usually about 3,500 soldiers but can be as large as 5,000 for the heavily armored units. A battalion is usually between 600 and 800 soldiers.
The brigade restructuring will unfold over several years and is intended to save money without eroding the military’s ability to protect the country and wage war when needed.
At the Army’s Fort Carson installation near Colorado Springs, the headquarters for the 4th Infantry Division could be affected if the cuts include any of four combat brigades totaling about 14,000 soldiers. A combat aviation brigade scheduled to begin arriving in April 2013 won’t be affected, according to Fort Carson officials, who added that no information has been released about how the proposed cuts would affect individual posts. The Associated Press and The Denver Post
