The U.S. Army has announced plans to eliminate 40,000 soldiers from its ranks. Army force management director Randy George announced the cuts.

Randy George: “Beginning this October, we will start reducing the active component by another 40,000 soldiers. Driven by fiscal constraints resulting from the Budget Control Act of 2011 and defense strategic and budgetary guidance, this reduction amounts to a cumulative cut of 120,000 soldiers from the regular Army, or 21 percent since 2012. This will also be accompanied by the reduction of approximately 17,000 Department of the Army civilian employees. These cuts will impact nearly every Army installation both in the continental United States and overseas.”

The reduction in U.S. troops has drawn criticism from Republican lawmakers who voted in favor of budget cuts the Pentagon warned would reduce its ranks.