Army to reduce deployment time in war zone to 9 months

[alp227]

Source: CNN

Washington (CNN) -- The Army announced Friday that it will reduce the typical soldier's deployment time in Afghanistan from one year to nine months, a move that could help soldiers better deal with stress and help reduce family problems at home.

"The reduced deployment length will improve soldier and family quality of life while continuing to meet operational requirements, and is an important step in sustaining the all-volunteer-force," Army Secretary John McHugh said in a statement released Friday afternoon.

The length of deployments has been a focus of concern for years at the Pentagon. When then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced in 2007 that Army deployments in Iraq had been extended to 15 months, he called the decision difficult. Since then, the typical soldier's deployment has returned to 12 months, until Friday's announcement.

Numerous studies have looked at the impact of long, repeated deployments for troops. In 2009, Gen. Peter Chiarelli testified in a Senate hearing that "we're dealing with a tired and stressed force, and the effect, in the most extreme cases, has been, unfortunately, an increased incidence of suicide."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/08/05/army.afghan.deployment/index.html

[Solly Mack]

1. Doesn't start until 2012 .

[keynesFailed]

2. bring home the troops

they want to come home

[Chorophyll]

3. Somewhat good news, but it would be even better

to bring 'em all home. Disentangling ourselves from these useless wars would save lives and money.