CNN: Pentagon Weighs Major Cuts to Top U.S. Military Leadership

The Pentagon is considering making significant cuts to the top of the US military as the Trump administration seeks to shrink the federal government.

CNN reported this, citing its own sources and a document the network obtained.

US defense officials prepared the document for senior leaders this month, as the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has pushed the Pentagon and other federal agencies to make sweeping cuts to save money.

The plans under consideration include consolidating combatant commands, possibly eliminating a directorate that oversees development, training, and education for the joint force, and halting the expansion of US Forces in Japan.

Among the eye-catching measures being considered are merging European Command and Africa Command into a single command based in Stuttgart, Germany.

In addition, the U.S. Northern and Southern Commands merger into a single command under the abbreviation AMERICOM is being considered. The administration plans to save about $330 million over the next five years.

Cost cutting

Another option to cut costs is to stop the planned expansion of US Forces in Japan. That could save about $1.1 billion in personnel and command and control upgrades.

At the same time, it is noted that this could create a “political risk” for the United States in Japan and reduce the scale of command and control in the Pacific.

The document also proposes significant cuts to the Joint Information Operations Warfare Center, including the “elimination” of the department that oversees joint training and education, the Joint Information Operations Warfare Center, and other structures.

The document says these cuts could result in savings of around $1 billion over five years but could also result in the loss of key trained staff and experts either by elimination or re-location.

According to the American TV channel, in recent weeks, the Pentagon has primarily focused on reducing civilian employees to eliminate 5-8% of civilian positions. It is worth noting that the current annual budget of the U.S. Army exceeds $800 billion.

In March, it was also reported that the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) plans to cut approximately 1,000 jobs at one of the country’s largest ammunition plants.