By Oleg Brurunov
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240106/retired-us-general-weighs-in-on-why-american-army-number-smallest-since-1940-1116010321.html

With the US Army currently facing recruiting shortfalls, throwing more money at the recruiting budget is unlikely to improve the situation, Paul E. Vallely, a retired US Army major general and chairman of the Stand Up America US Foundation, told Sputnik.
By the end of 2023, there will be only 452,000 active-duty soldiers in the US Army, the smallest force since 1940, Defense News recently reported.
In this vein, the international military news outlet pointed to recruiting shortfalls in the U.S. Army that could result in 3,000 Army Special Operations troops being cut before the end of this year.
First and foremost is the COVID-19 pandemic, in which a number of US soldiers were discharged from the army without pay because they didn’t want to take the vaccine, according to Vallely.