The United States is cutting troop numbers.

(Baonghean.vn) - The United States will cut 40,000 troops over the next two years, according to state media.

This also resulted in 17,000 civilian employees serving in the military losing their jobs.

According to the plan, the total active-duty size of the U.S. Army will be reduced to approximately 450,000 troops by the end of 2017.

The U.S. Army's troop strength will be at its lowest level in decades.

The U.S. Army's troop numbers reached 570,000 at the peak of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This plan has been under discussion since early 2014, when former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel proposed at the Pentagon a program to reduce troop numbers to 450,000 after two costly wars abroad.

Nearly 10,000 U.S. troops remain stationed in Afghanistan after a phased withdrawal was postponed until 2016. In Iraq, approximately 3,500 U.S. troops are also helping train Iraqi forces to fight the Islamic State (IS). Some U.S. soldiers are also training 60 rebel fighters in Syria, according to figures released on Tuesday, July 7th.

Following the cuts, the U.S. Army will be at its lowest level since 1940, a year before the United States entered World War II. At that time, the army numbered only 270,000. A year before the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. Army had 480,000 troops.

The military could face further cuts of 30,000 troops if automatic budget reductions, known as 'reserve budgets', take effect in October of this year.

Vo Ngoc Trung

Source: BBC