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American Troop Strength American troop strength is still close to the lowest levels since the beginning of the Cold War — the high for active duty Army personnel was reached in 1968 at 1,570,343. In December, 2004 that figure stood at 494,112. The Armed Services are thus increasingly relying on National Guard units and on the Army and Air Force Reserves. NOW reported late last year on the unprecedented role played by National Guard troops in the Iraq conflict — reservists and guards comprise over 40 percent of the total troop strength. In 2005, the U.S. Army is still desperately short of troops to fight in Iraq.