Mullen reviewing options to reduce tours

Mullen reviewing options to reduce tours
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Jan 11, 2008 16:42:26 EST

Officials continue to work on ways to trim the length and frequency of combat tours to Iraq and Afghanistan, but the wars’ demands and administration policy come first, the nation’s top military officer said Friday.

“We must be mindful of the mission; we must support the mission, and we’ll continue to do that,” said Adm. Mike Mullen, echoing his response to Army officers expressing concern about the strains of the wars during the Joint Chiefs chairman’s fall visit to Army bases in the Midwest.

“That said, we want to understand, and we’re reviewing options and opportunities to take that stress off,” Mullen said.

As he has in the past, Mullen acknowledged the heavy strain on combat troops. Army deployments are 15 months long due to a three-month extension imposed last April by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and soldiers typically get only 12 months at home between deployments. Soldiers also are affected by the current “stop-loss” program, which keeps those in mobilized, deployed and deploying units in uniform past their normal separation or retirement dates.

Marine Corps units serve shorter but more frequent tours, deploying 7 months and returning home for roughly an equal length of time before redeploying.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/01/military_mullen_combattours_080111w/