Army cuts training as service is short billions of dollars
Source: ABC News
May 13, 2026, 5:13 AM
The Army is grappling with a sudden budget crunch and scrambling to slash training costs across broad swaths of the force, according to internal documents reviewed by ABC News and multiple U.S. officials.
The move is to make up for a shortfall of some $4 billion to $6 billion, according to one of the officials, as the service has drastically expanded its operational footprint at home and abroad.
The cuts, which range from elite schools to unit-level training, have triggered a wave of abrupt cancellations and unusually aggressive spending scrutiny months before the fiscal year ends Sept. 30. The service's multibillion-dollar shortfall is the product of a widening set of operational demands and rising costs across the force.
Major drivers, a U.S. official noted, have been costs associated with the Iran war and an expanding mission securing the southern U.S. border. Additionally, expansive National Guard missions, including the ongoing deployment in Washington, D.C., which alone is projected to cost roughly $1.1 billion this year, according to estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
Read more: https://abcnews.com/Politics/army-cuts-training-service-short-billions-dollars/story?id=132898323
Lovie777
(24,576 posts)Midnight Writer
(26,018 posts)and act surprised when he shows he has no idea how to handle his job.
mercuryblues
(16,569 posts)And they are broke? Where did the savings go?
Bombs don't come cheap.
Are we tired of winning yet?
WestMichRad
(3,527 posts)that mid-level officers will be pretty disgusted with this. (To put it mildly!)
purr-rat beauty
(1,670 posts)Surprisingly expertly executed to gut our defense preparedness
republianmushroom
(22,933 posts)irisblue
(38,173 posts)oasis
(54,367 posts)TomSlick
(13,131 posts)Quelle surprise.
twodogsbarking
(19,883 posts)orangecrush
(31,917 posts)70sEraVet
(5,760 posts)Just throw warm bodies out in the field -- they'll learn how to duck and run.
orangecrush
(31,917 posts)All the money has been grifted
sinkingfeeling
(58,255 posts)progressoid
(53,581 posts)Bayard
(30,712 posts)Scalded Nun
(1,752 posts)Guess they'll have to slow down the 'Who can blow the most money on the most ridiculous bullshit fluff' games and maybe even the senior officer boondoggles.
They did this to themselves and unfortunately the troops are the ones who will pay the cost.
Old Crank
(7,438 posts)How does Israel keep bombing Gaza and Lebanon while mostly defending themselves from drones and missiles, over 2years now, and we are short of munitions 4 weeks into an excursion?
AverageOldGuy
(4,391 posts). . .with 28 years in the Army and a year in the bush in Vietnam --
Given the choice between a well-trained troop with old weapons and a poorly-trained troop with the newest stuff -- I'll take training every time.
If you are a part-time Fox host, your opinion may vary.
BurnDoubt
(1,944 posts)at Putins end of his Long Table.
So
WINNING!!!!!
IronLionZion
(51,719 posts)they have plenty of money