Bush to announce shorter Army tours
WASHINGTON (AP) - April 9, 2008 The reduced tour length will not apply to any soldiers now
serving in Iraq, Afghanistan or other war zones, although that
could change later if security conditions improve, the officials
said Wednesday. They spoke on condition of anonymity in advance of
Bush's speech.
Bush planned to make the announcement during a morning speech,
which is expected to include his endorsement of an indefinite pause
in troop cuts after July to reassess force levels in Iraq.
There are 160,000 troops in Iraq, including about 18 combat
brigades, and that number is expected to go down to 140,000 -
including 15 brigades - by the end of July. Military leaders have
consistently said that 15-month tours put too much stress on
soldiers and their families.
After Bush's speech, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm.
Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were expected
to answer questions about the shorter tours when they testify
Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Under the new plan, soldiers would deploy for one year, then get
12 months at home to rest and then retrain for their next tour.
The shorter deployments will apply broadly to Army units. But
officials acknowledge that there could be some individuals or
smaller specialized companies with jobs in high demand who could be
pressed into longer service.
Gates and Mullen are also expected to speak more broadly about
their desire to send additional U.S. forces to Afghanistan at some
point next year. But they were expected to note that the timing and
size of that Afghanistan buildup will depend on the situation in
Iraq, and whether they have been able to continue to reduce the
number of troops in Iraq.
The Bush announcement only applies to active-duty Army soldiers.
National Guard and Reserve units are already limited to 12-month
tours, and Air Force, Navy and Marine units routinely serve shorter
deployments.
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