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Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno met with soldiers at Fort Riley on Friday amid questions about how deep cuts in Pentagon spending will affect the Kansas installation.
Fort Riley is the home of 18,000 soldiers and the Army's 1st Infantry Division.
Odierno was visiting the division to assess the soldiers' training for an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan, but was expected to face questions about the planned budget cuts.
The Army is slated to shed 80,000 soldiers over the next five years, going from 570,000 to 490,000, which is still more than the pre-9/11 levels. The number of brigades is also likely shrink, going from the present 48 to as few as 32.
The Pentagon must find some $260 billion in savings over the next five years. Congress has ordered the Defense Department to find $487 billion in cuts over the next 10 years. That figure could increase if Congress can't find a way to avoid across-the-board reductions mandated by lawmakers last year.
Odierno said last week that the two brigades being removed from Europe will be eliminated rather than reassigned to U.S. bases. Both are based in Germany — the 172nd Infantry Brigade, in Grafenwoehr, and the 170th Infantry Brigade, in Baumholder.
Odierno said that over time the change will benefit both the United States and its European partners. U.S. combat and support units will rotate through Europe periodically for training and joint exercises with European forces to meet the needs of the militaries on the continent.
Fort Riley has seen its soldier population grow by about 50 percent since 2001 as the Army added troops to fight two wars.
Since 2005, the Army has invested more than $1 billion on new construction to add barracks, training sites and other support buildings to handle the influx of soldiers and families.
The surrounding communities have also made significant investments in new roads, housing and schools to handle the increase in the number of soldiers and families. Reductions in the number of soldiers assigned to Fort Riley could affect future plans for growth and the cities' ability to finance the improvements.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno met with soldiers at Fort Riley on Friday amid questions about how deep cuts in Pentagon spending will affect the Kansas installation.
Fort Riley is the home of 18,000 soldiers and the Army's 1st Infantry Division.
Odierno was visiting the division to assess the soldiers' training for an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan, but was expected to face questions about the planned budget cuts.
The Army is slated to shed 80,000 soldiers over the next five years, going from 570,000 to 490,000, which is still more than the pre-9/11 levels. The number of brigades is also likely shrink, going from the present 48 to as few as 32.
The Pentagon must find some $260 billion in savings over the next five years. Congress has ordered the Defense Department to find $487 billion in cuts over the next 10 years. That figure could increase if Congress can't find a way to avoid across-the-board reductions mandated by lawmakers last year.
Odierno said last week that the two brigades being removed from Europe will be eliminated rather than reassigned to U.S. bases. Both are based in Germany — the 172nd Infantry Brigade, in Grafenwoehr, and the 170th Infantry Brigade, in Baumholder.
Odierno said that over time the change will benefit both the United States and its European partners. U.S. combat and support units will rotate through Europe periodically for training and joint exercises with European forces to meet the needs of the militaries on the continent.
Fort Riley has seen its soldier population grow by about 50 percent since 2001 as the Army added troops to fight two wars.
Since 2005, the Army has invested more than $1 billion on new construction to add barracks, training sites and other support buildings to handle the influx of soldiers and families.
The surrounding communities have also made significant investments in new roads, housing and schools to handle the increase in the number of soldiers and families. Reductions in the number of soldiers assigned to Fort Riley could affect future plans for growth and the cities' ability to finance the improvements.
