“The US Army is to cut 40,000 soldiers from its ranks over the next two years at home and abroad, a defense official said, in a move that will raise doubts about its ability to fight wars,” according to Yahoo News .  

“Under the cost-cutting plan, the Army will be down to 450,000 soldiers at the end of the 2017 budget year, even though in 2013 it argued in budgetary documents that going below 450,000 troops might mean it could not win a war… By comparison, the Army swelled to 570,000 men and women during the peak of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.”  

“Across-the-board government budget cuts are due to kick in in October and if Congress does not avert these the Army will have to lay off another 30,000 soldiers on top of the 40,000.”