US Military Cuts $292 Million in Army Training as Iran Operations Drain Budget

7 articles · Updated · CNN · May 27

$292 million was stripped from the Army’s III Armored Corps training budget in late April, while the Navy limited exercises, flight hours and recruit training because Iran operations were not built into 2026 plans.
Adm. Daryl Caudle told lawmakers the Navy’s budget “didn’t bake in” Operation Epic Fury, and warned recruiting gains could stall without money to move recruits through boot camp and fund bonuses.
The strain is spreading through operations and maintenance accounts: the Army’s medical schoolhouse canceled dozens of courses, and Air Force chief Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach said the conflict has worsened existing readiness problems.
Pentagon comptroller Jules Hurst put direct conflict costs at about $29 billion on May 12, but that excluded base rebuilding; other estimates reviewed by CNN place the full bill closer to $40 billion-$50 billion.
Congress has yet to advance supplemental funding, even as lawmakers press Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to replenish depleted O&M accounts and offset longer-term wear on equipment and missile stockpiles.

With its arsenal dwindling and forces strained, is the U.S. military approaching a breaking point in its global readiness?

Beyond the daily war cost, what is the long-term price of America's depleted high-tech military arsenal?

As critical weapon stockpiles vanish in Iran, how vulnerable is the U.S. to another major global crisis?