At a press conference on 25 June 2013, Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno announced that the army would face a 14% reduction in troops by 2018. However, he said, if the "sequestration" continues into Fiscal Year 2014, this first measure could be expanded to 31%.

The Army has a force strength of 570,000 men. The organizational change will whittle it down to 490 000 (corresponding to the elimination of 12 combat brigades). If the 2014 budget is further restricted, the number will shrink to 390,000.

For its part, the Air Force has already disabled 33 combat units, that is more than 500 aircraft. Under such conditions, no major war can be conducted by Washington in the near or medium term.

From 2001 to 2010, the military budget of the United States had more than doubled.