75 thousand Army jobs are under fire, as the Department of Defense cuts its budget.
Now, some Fort Hood soldiers are raising the bar, so their jobs don't slip away.
SSG Victoria Cisneros with Fort Hood's 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment is determined to keep her performance Army Strong.
"I definitely think you have to do things now to set yourself apart from your peers. Now is not the time to just blend in. Meeting the standard is not necessarily acceptable. You need to exceed the standard," she said.
It's still too early to tell how much the cuts could affect Fort Hood, but leaders, like the 3d ACR's CSM Patrick Akuna are already looking at who is holding themselves to the highest Army standards.
"We're going to cut those soldiers who do not live up to the Army values, and were going keep those who want to be here and want to provide to the force," said CSM Akuna.
Physical fitness also remains a top priority, and for some, it's now more important than ever.
"They have to maintain their APFT score. They have to stay within the Army's standard for height, weight and tape," CSM Akuna said.
In the classroom, he says soldiers must score high on their qualifications and even be ready to change their career focus to meet the Army's changing needs.
CSM Akuna said, "If they want to stay in service, and they're in the MOS that is not needed anymore, they're going to have the opportunity to be able to re-class."
All that considered, SGT Cisneros says she has faith in what's down the line when it comes to the proposed changes.
"They kind of make me a little nervous with the budget, but all-in-all, I think it's going to be a good thing," she said.
One reason some others also say cuts to the military are a good thing is that they're expected to save the Department of Defense more than $450 billion over the next 10 years.
Reporter/Photographer: Sophia Stamas sstamas@kcentv.com
