Stars and Stripes reports that “the U.S. Army Reserve needs to grow in order to then shrink the right way, says the organization’s top enlisted leader.”  

“The Reserve’s current authorized end strength is 205,000 soldiers. With the reserve topping off at just over 196,000, that means there’s room to expand, Command Sgt. Maj. Luther Thomas Jr., the command sergeant major of the Army Reserve, said Saturday. He was speaking at a town hall in Kaiserslautern for reservists from the 7th Civil Support Command, the Army’s only Reserve command stationed entirely overseas.”  

“By 2019, however, the Army Reserve is slated to drop to 195,000 soldiers, Thomas said.”