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IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 203-99
April 28, 1999

MILITARY STRENGTH FIGURES FOR MARCH 31, 1999 SUMMARIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

The total numerical strength of the Armed Forces on March 31, 1999, was 1,369,918. This is a decrease of 6,139 from Feb. 28, 1999, and a decrease of 38,452 from March 31, 1998.

These figures represent full-time military personnel comprising both regular and reserves on active duty and officer candidates, including cadets at the three military academies.

Excluded from these figures are approximately 65,000 full-time military personnel who are paid from other than active duty military personnel appropriations. This group is funded from appropriations for reserve components and Corps of Engineers civil functions. A comparable figure for fiscal 1998 was also 65,000 military personnel.

March 1999 strength figures for each Service with month-ago and year-ago figures for comparison are:

3/31/99 2/28/99 Change from Previous Month 3/31/98
Amount Percent
Total DoD 1,369,918 1,376,057 -6,139 -0.45
1,408,370
Army 469,899 472,228 -2,329 -0.49
480,428
Navy 366,427 368,637 -2,210 -0.60 384,781
Marine Corps 171,046 172,071 -1,025 -0.60 171,567
Air Force 362,546 363,121 -575 -0.16
371,594

The active duty personnel strength data provided does not include Selected Reserve strength ordered to active duty by the President under Title 10, United States Code 12304.