Since World War II, the number of soldiers the U.S. Army has trained to jump into battle has more than doubled. However, in preparation for future military operations, the army is concerned that too many soldiers are maintaining their jump status, even though many of them won't actually jump straight into battle. In this regard, the army has decided to reclassify about 20,000 paid parachutist positions in order to manage limited resources and give priority to airborne training of soldiers who will be the first on the ground.
Details of the reclassification
- Paid positions for paratroopers: Include paratroopers in airborne units, as well as soldiers in other headquarters units.
- The purpose of the reclassification is to manage limited resources and ensure priority for soldiers who will actually participate in jump operations.
- Entry into force: The changes will take effect on October 1, said Colonel Mary Ricks, representative of the XVIII Airborne Corps.
The reclassification of paratrooper positions will allow the US Army to use its resources more efficiently and prepare soldiers for future operations. It will also help reduce the unnecessary costs of maintaining jump status for those who will not participate in jump operations, and focus efforts on training those who will actually be involved in combat operations.
According to the army, there are more than 56,000 paid paratrooper positions in the service, and that number has grown by more than 13,000 since fiscal year 2002 without an increase in demand for airborne operations. For comparison, in 1945, during World War II, the U.S. Army had about 24,700 paratroopers in five airborne divisions.
The changes were adopted after an analysis conducted by 25 organizations in the Army and Air Force, which reviewed adjustments to the service's airborne forces to meet readiness requirements over the next five to 20 years. The US war games show that the army will need to have its airborne forces ready to deploy without warning and at an early stage in the event of a crisis, according to the army.
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