Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno has expressed concern over the future of the service’s readiness and capabilities if sequestration returns in 2016, the Army Times reported Thursday.
Odierno told an audience at an Association of the United States Army breakfast event the service is “moving towards a hollow Army†if government-wide budget cuts return “for the next three to four to five years,†Michelle Tan reports.
He said a future sequestration could hamper the U.S. Army’s training programs for warfighters,  ammunition supply, equipment maintenance and response capabilities, according to the report.
Odierno noted that the Army’s modernization funding has already been cut by nearly 50 percent, the report says.
“So now we’re not investing in training, we’re not investing in equipment, and this falls on the shoulders of our soldiers,” he said at the event.
Odierno called for proper funding to support soldiers and maintain the Army’s ability to conduct various missions around the world, Army Times reports.
“I believe this is the most uncertain time I’ve seen in our national security since I’ve been in uniform,” Odierno said.
“To sustain the readiness that we need to respond to the variety of threats we face, we need to invest today, we need to invest tomorrow, we need to invest after that.”
