Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno said Wednesday that only a third of the Army’s brigades are ready due to budget cuts, Military Times reports.
The Army has cut 80,000 soldiers out of the active force, reorganized and cut 13 brigade combat teams and three aviation brigades from the active component. Investment in modernization is down by 25 percent, Odierno said, sidelining "much-needed" infantry fighting vehicle modernization and a scout helicopter development program.
"The unrelenting budget impasse has compelled us to degrade readiness to historically low levels," Odierno said.
"Even today we only have 33 percent of our brigades ready, when our sustained rate should be closer to 70 percent. We are unable to generate readiness for unknown contingencies, and under our current budget Army readiness will at best flatline over the next three to four years."
The ability to deter and compel more than one adversary at a time is in doubt.
Odierno discussed several threats facing the U.S. Army including the Islamic State in the Middle East and North Africa, Russian aggression in Ukraine, Anarchy and terrorism in Libya, and China’s military modernization.