As sequestration continues, senior Army leaders announced a new plan to identify ways to cut 25 percent in funding and manning levels at all Army headquarters elements at the 2-star level and above by Sept. 11.
"Across the board reductions in federal spending imposed by the Budget Control Act of 2011 will significantly decrement the Army's budget in the foreseeable future," the Aug. 14 memo obtained by Defense News read. "To ensure Army readiness at these reduced budget levels, we must make the best and maximum use of every single dollar provided to the Army."
To carry out the goal, Secretary of the Army John McHugh and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno announced the formation of an Army Focus Area Review Group with representatives from the Army, National Guard and Reserve.
According to the memo, the group will look at specific focus areas in order to provide recommendations for cuts to Army organizations, programs and functions, "which will be used to balance the already directed reductions” in the budget projections from 2015-2019.
The seven Focus Area teams will be led by Deputy Undersecretary of the Army Thomas Hawley and head of Army's Office of Business Transformation Lt. Gen. Thomas Spoehr.
The focus areas for the teams are:
- Institutional Headquarters Reductions
- Operational Headquarters Reductions
- Operational Force Structure and Ramps
- Readiness
- Acquisition Work Force
- Installation Services and Investments
- Army C31 and Cyber
In regards to Institutional Headquarters reductions, teams are warned that “movement of personnel outside of headquarters to subordinate units is not a legitimate means of achieving savings." Teams are asked to consider instead, "consolidation, reductions and closing organizations.”
The memo stated the Army wants to begin setting cuts now and it takes "priority over all other headquarters (and) Department of the Army activities."
"Let there be no mistake, aggregate reductions will take place," the memo read. "The money is gone; our mission now is to determine how best to allocate these cuts while maintaining readiness. We expect Army leaders, military and civilian, to seize this opportunity to re-shape our Army. "
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