The Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. James F. Amos, revealed on a visit to Marine Corps Base Hawaii this morning that the size of the corps would drop from 202,000 today to 186,800 after the U.S. pulls out of Afghanistan.

The scope of the reduction was determined through a force structure review launched in September.

Amos and the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, Sgt. Maj. Carlton Kent, visited Kaneohe to talk to Marines and sailors about a telephone hotline initiative for anonymous counseling to help troops and families deal with deployment issues.

Amos said over the past six years the size of the Marine Crops grew with the demands of war and larger budgets to accommodate war efforts. In March of 2003, the size of the corps was 182,000, he said. 

Amos said he told Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday that the number of Marines would drop to 186,800.

“That’s post-Afghanistan,” Amos said this morning. 

“In today’s fiscally restrained environment we must continue to improve our efficiency,” Amos was quoted as saying yesterday in a Marine publication.

Amos did not provide information on how the reduction might affect the Marine base in Kaneohe.