Army Size Will Be Smaller in Future, Secretary Says
Secretary of the Army Michael P. W. Stone said Wednesday that his troops are ready for combat in the Persian Gulf if economic and political sanctions aren’t enough to free Kuwait from the grasp of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
In a speech to more than 500 members of the Orange County World Affairs Council, Stone described operation Desert Shield as a “extraordinary achievement” in the mobilization of military forces and equipment.
“It’s a strong foe, Iraq,” Stone said. “It has a large army with an active and large repertoire of equipment. But I have no doubts about our ability to execute whatever orders the President gives us.”
Despite the United States’ commitment to assembling a massive military force in the Persian Gulf, Stone said the U.S. Army will be getting smaller in the years ahead.
He said the total number of people serving in the U.S. armed forces would be reduced from about 735,000 to somewhere between 550,000 and 600,000 in the coming years, in order to compensate for the changing political climate throughout the world.
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