Does the US Army need to be cut?

 Note 1.  Don't worry Soldiers in the audience.  The USMC is up next and the Navy/Air Force will both get their times in this hot seat.

Jon, a reader of the blog made this comment...

None of the national security challenges, except Europe, require a 32 active Brigade force structure, plus another 27 in the National Guard. That's the equivalent of 19 divisions. By using US Army equipment to delete the Russian Army, the justification for that many Brigades disappears, especially if the EU steps up.

Taiwan is not an Army scenario, we aren't going to put ground forces in there, the risk of them becoming cut off is too high.

The US is largely done with the ME, geography precludes a major ground war with Iran and you don't need 32 Brigades to help the IDF fight Hezbollah, the US has never needed to provide Israel with direct military combat support. The US population wouldn't support helping the Saudis.

South America and Africa aren't conventional military problems.

I would fully support moving at least half of the active Brigades into the Guard. You've still got them in crisis, but they cost 1/3 the price tag. National Guard served well in I raq. The saving could be used to rebuild US ship building to pump out the new Frigate and whatever the new Destroyer is, and Amphibs for crisis response and the Pacific.