Army Proposal Would Cut Soldiers’ War Tours From 15 To 12 Months

By LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Army is considering a proposal to cut soldiers’ battlefield tours from 15 months to 12 months beginning in August, in a sweeping effort to reduce the stress on a force battered by more than six years at war.

The proposal, recommended by U.S. Army Forces Command, is currently being reviewed by senior Army and Pentagon leaders, and would be contingent on the changing needs for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Our top priority is going to be meeting the combatant commanders’ requirements, so there may be no decision until we get more clarity on that,” Army Col. Edward Gibbons, chief of the plans division for Forces Command, said Wednesday.

He said the goal was to meet those demands while still reducing soldiers’ deployments and increasing their time at home between tours.

Gen. George Casey, chief of staff of the Army, has been pushing to move back to one-year deployments, citing the heavy burden that the 15-month stays put on troops and their families.

Just last week he hinted that the shorter tours could begin this summer. But defense officials have been reluctant to talk much about the shift because it will depend heavily on what Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, recommends when he gives his assessment on the war to Congress in March or April.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates ordered the move to 15-month deployments about a year ago, as the Pentagon struggled to fight wars on two fronts.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)