SAN ANTONIO – The Department of the Army announced today the reduction of 40,000 regular army soldiers and approximately 17,000 civilians by the end of fiscal year 2018.
Army officials said Fort Hood and Fort Bliss would lose a total of more than 4,500 soldiers.
Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston was spared from the worst cuts.
Fort Sam Houston will lose 329 soldiers by reducing positions in the U.S. Army North, U.S. Army South, U.S. Army Installation Management Command and the 106th Signal Brigade.
Brooke Army Medical Center will receive an increase in military and civilian positions.
"With the cuts that had to be taken at Fort Bliss and Fort Hood, it's a relatively small hit," said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff. "You don't like to lose any jobs but we can manage this very easily, I think."
The Army anticipates that the majority of its civilian reductions will be absorbed through attrition and positions that are currently unfilled.
The decision to shrink the Army was made months ago but Congress is just now being briefed on the details.