The Army is talking about 10% cuts to special operators and up to 20% cuts in SoF enablers (logistics, psy ops, civil affairs, etc.)
Army Mulls 10-20% Cut to Special Operations Forces
The U.S. Army is considering cutting 10 to 20 percent of their special operation forces, according to Capitol Hill officials and a former top commander of the service’s elite forces.
Kenneth Tovo, a retired Army lieutenant general who led U.S. Army Special Operations Command, was asked by Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., at a Senate hearing on Wednesday about “the administration's plans to cut 10 percent of U.S. Army Special Operations Forces” and their likely effect on the service’s ability “to provide combatant commanders with options for great power competition, counterterrorism and crisis response.”
“I think it'll be crippling,” said Tovo, who was speaking before the Armed Services subcommittee on emerging threats and capabilities.
“10 percent of the force is going to be a significant—…the higher end is even 20 percent.”
Later, a congressional aide went into more detail.
“I’m told by both mid- and senior-level officials in the Army and special operations that cuts to [special operations forces] are coming. Cuts of at least 10 percent. I say again: at least 10 percent are currently reflected in TAA 25-29. TAA is Total Army Analysis 25-29, which is the Army’s process by which they determine future force structure and inform the budget process,” said the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the cuts.
"I’m told that the cuts will be most acute on SOF enablers like logistics and intelligence, but that some changes to force structure are also likely for Special Forces, civil affairs, psychological operations," the aide said.
A second congressional aide confirmed that Army officials were talking with lawmakers and staffers about such cuts but did not say just how deep they might be.
An Army spokesperson, asked about the potential cuts, referred questions to U.S. Special Operations Command.