The Department of Defense announced that it “is considering reducing the Army to its smallest size since 2001 because of the sequester’s automatic spending cuts,” The Hill reports.

“In a strategy…the Pentagon said one scenario being considered would shrink the Army from 490,00 to between 380,000 and 450,000 troops. The Marine Corps would be slashed from 182,000 to between 150,00 to 175,000, and the number of aircraft carrier strike groups would be reduced from 11 to eight or nine.”

“The troop cuts outlined…would make the U.S. military unable to wage two wars simultaneously — a significant break from past Pentagon strategy. The reductions would be made to take into account $500 billion in spending cuts mandated by the sequester over the next decade.”

Crossposted from Wonk Wire.