Conferees reduced the Army's active-duty end strength from 452,000 to 445,000 in the conference version of the fiscal year 2024 defense authorization bill, according to a congressional aide. The cut comes amidst continuing recruiting challenges the service has been facing in recent years. The reduction from 452,000 soldiers in the service’s FY-24 budget as well as the House and Senate versions of the defense authorization bill, to 445,000 in the conference bill occurred after the Army released updated projections for...
