Forces: February 24, 2004

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The U.S. Army is undergoing it's largest personnel shuffle ever. Some ten percent of the 1.2 million active and reserve troops are changing jobs. In addition to tens of thousands of artillery troops being converted to military police, there are thousands of support jobs being shifted from the reserves to active duty units. The number of troops who turned out to be non-deployable (could not be sent overseas because of health or family problems) is being scrutinized and this will lead to transfers as well. The army wants units to be ready to go overseas for at least nine months every five years. There is also a new mindset for career soldiers, as it's now policy to keep troops at one base for as long as possible, perhaps for an entire twenty year career.