Army Cancels 34 Medical Courses Amid $4 Billion-$6 Billion Budget Shortfall

3 articles · Updated · abcnews.com · May 21

At least 34 Army medical training courses were canceled in the second half of the fiscal year, including frontline combat casualty care and medevac command preparation, with cuts set to last at least until October.
Internal documents tie the cancellations to funding shortfalls and limited resources as the service slashes training force-wide, diverts money between commands and pares flying to minimum requirements.
III Armored Corps — about 70,000 soldiers — had $26.6 million shifted from ground combat training to keep helicopters flying, while some units bound for Europe next year were warned of lower readiness.
The squeeze reflects rising fuel prices, border and DHS support costs, the expanding Washington National Guard mission projected at about $1.1 billion, and war expenses from Iran that the Pentagon says have already topped $29 billion.
The detailed cuts undercut acting Army chief Gen. Chris LaNeve's recent statement that no training had been canceled and add pressure for a Pentagon supplemental funding request.

With training cut amid a budget crisis, will a record future defense budget arrive in time to ensure military readiness?

As the Iran conflict drains funds, how will readiness gaps affect U.S. security commitments in Europe and the Pacific?