Military

Chief: This is how the Army must prepare for tomorrow’s wars

As he enters his fourth year as the Army’s top general, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley continues to push for a more ready, lethal and focused force, one that’s always training for the next fight.

This includes pushing ahead on key modernization efforts to make sure soldiers have the best equipment the Army can provide.

"It's the infantry, still today, that suffers 70 to 80 percent of the casualties. I want those kids to have the best, bar none, with nothing held back," Milley said. "We owe it to them."

What’s your assessment of the Army today?

We’ve made some really good progress over the last couple of years. Some external factors have contributed. One is the budget. The second is the op tempo relative to the war in the Middle East.

At one point in time, when I first became the chief, people were actively talking about an [active] Army of 420,000 [soldiers], some were saying 400,000. Those conversations largely are over. So, in terms of manning and strength, I think the bleeding, if you will, the reduction in forces, has stopped.