Army Extends Tours For Active Duty Troops

(CBS/AP)  Stretched thin by four years of war, the Army is adding three months to the standard yearlong tour for all active duty soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, an unpopular step aimed at maintaining the troop buildup in Baghdad.

The change, announced Wednesday by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, is the latest blow to an all-volunteer Army that has been given ever-shorter periods of rest and retraining at home between overseas deployments.

Rather than continue to shrink the at-home intervals to a point that might compromise soldiers' preparedness for combat, Gates chose to lengthen combat tours to buy time for units newly returned from battle.

"Our forces are stretched, there's no question about that," Gates said.

The extended tours are a price the Army must pay to sustain the troop buildup that President Bush ordered in January as part of his re-jiggered strategy for stabilizing Baghdad and averting a U.S. defeat. Troop levels are being boosted from 15 brigades to 20 brigades, and in order to keep that up beyond summer the Army faced harsh choices: either send units to Iraq with less than 12 months at home, or extend tours.

Reaction on Capitol Hill to Gates' announcement was harsh.

Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said the longer tours will have a "chilling effect" on recruiting and the Army's ability to keep soldiers from quitting the service.

"We also must not underestimate the enormous negative impact this will have on Army families," Skelton said.

Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, one of only two Republicans who voted to set a timetable for beginning to withdraw troops from Iraq, said Gates' announcement was a "stark admission that the administration's policies in Iraq are doing permanent damage to our military."

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who supports the troop buildup, said of the affected soldiers, "They'll be disappointed, but they'll do it."

Indeed, at Fort Hood, Texas, home of the 4th Infantry Division, some Army families took the news in stride.

Carol Frennier, whose husband, Command Sgt. Maj. Steve Frennier, is in Iraq, said she had prepared herself and her family for a longer deployment.

"They kind of told us to expect 12 months to 18 months," she said. "We were already prepared to have them extended." And her family has been through an extended tour of duty before.

"Last time they said nine months, and it was 14 months," Frennier said.

It's not just soldiers that are in short supply, reports CBS News national security correspondent David Martin. The White House is having a hard time finding a retired general to become a new czar to coordinate war strategy for both Iraq and Afghanistan.

At least five retired generals have said "no," Martin reports, some citing personal reasons. But one of them, Retired Marine Jack Sheehan, said he turned it down because "I don't think they've got a coherent strategy."

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[sclaires]

Don't believe everything you read in the paper about the National Guard not being extended also. THEY ARE!!!!!! Just because Bush started this war and doesn't know how to end it he is using every possible method he knows to keep the US fighting a losing war. When will they ever learn??????

[kpbkpb]

Because the Demos. will not give Bush his way with increasing the military, keeping the war going on forever, and the money for Iraq, he now adds on an additional three months to these poor men and women who have been in combat and living in bad conditions? That's how he's allowed to get around what the people want and need? What is best for America and for Iraq? Mr. Bush EDUCATION is what Iraq needs.

People where I work, who use to go around bragging they help put a Repub. in office and what GREAT changes were going to be made, are no longer heard from. They hang their heads low when people at the breakroom start talking about what a blunder has been made by this adminisration and how dishonest it been. People who put him in--are you proud now? If you are--go to Iraq and trade places with our men and women. See how it feels to have to sleep with one eye open and a gun at your fingertips. Be frightened if any cars come down the road or even a woman or child walking; they could have bombs on them. Would our President be willing to spend the rest of the war over there with the common soldier and live as they do?

[mmatthias1]

for our husbands, us wives, we were stabbed in our hearts to see them go, and now the blade is being twisted and twisted digging in deeper and deeper. how in the world can a person just keep on going without a care in the world for those that are forced to sacrifice they're lives and duties and what not for a greedy president? let bush go to the front lines and fight his own battle all by himself, and see if anybody will miss him as much as we miss our loved ones!

[mh4cbs1]

So our chickhawk, draft-dodging party-boy President and Mr. 5-deferment Cheney have no trouble extending the Iraq tours of our troops to 15 Months.

This is NOT supporting our troops!!

This is using them as cannon fodder for their NeoCon imperial War, based on LIES. A needless War, a horrific War that has left us less safe, 3,200 dead troops (that is NOT how you "support the troops"), $600 Billion wasted, a couple hundred thousand dead Iraqis.

When will America stand up and demand impeachment and JAIL for these Murderous Thugs - Cheney and Bush?!

Take the coffins of our dead soldiers and line them up end to end and they will go on and on for 4 miles! Think about it next time you are driving along the highway. For FOUR MILES imagine the coffins rushing past you, each with grieving families, fatherless kids.

BUSH AND CHENEY belon in JAIL for LYING us into this Disaster.

Worst American President EVER? DUH! Throw him and Cheney in JAIL where they belong.

[bluestardad]

irishbitch1; you are wellcome I have many more! Still love your post!

[tucano2]

Attaboy Georgie-girlie-boy! Now with the troops far away you can continue to keep our borders wide open, and they will not be able to stop you when you make it official that you have surrendered the USA to Mexico. Bush, you are a traitor.

[drinuk]

forthepeol1, You are quite right, the people are sick of this mess, however the people both you and the Brits need to stage a coup have very cynically been sent to Iraq and Afghanistan. Like us Brits you need the army and they aint here. I think we are closer to seeing the two governments overturned than ever before, never in my lifetime have I seen governments treating the us like this, not just this terrorist nonsense but in many other of their corrupt, dishonest and criminal acts against the people too, the list is endless.

[irishbitch1]

Bluestardad
Thanks for the email addresses!

[bluestardad]

Did you know that the Bush Administration has been back filling Ranger Units with Three Week trained Troops that go to a Ranger Familiarization course and then are back filled in Ranger Units to fill up the unit strength so they can deploy them! These are not Black Tab Rangers but soldiers that are Pre-Rangers just to fill a Ranger Slot and forced to go into combat without the full Black Tab Training Course! DO ANY OF YOU THINK THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO TRAIN AND COMMIT OUR TROOPS INTO BATTLE?

If you think Americas sacrifice is worth it contact your ELECTED OFFICIAL and tell them http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

Th
e House Speakers email address: [e-mail]

info@go
p.com Here is the Republican Party email address too!

[e-mail] Here is the Democratic Party email address also!

[bluestardad]

IRAQ IS NOT IN AMERICAS INTEREST! PULL OUT!
It is not anti Semitic to believe there are millions of other good people in the Middle East with valid concerns!

Even Eisenhower had problems with Israeli groups but he did not let them buy him!

READ AS THEY BRAG ABOUT THEIR INFLUENCE ON OUR GOVERNMENT!
http://www.aipac.org/forms/join_aipacClubs.htm


Founded in 1953 by Isaiah L. "Si" Kenen, AIPAC's original name was the American Zionist Committee for Public Affairs. According to UCLA political science professor and author, Steven Spiegel, "the tension between the Eisenhower administration and Israeli supporters was so acute that there were rumors that the administration would investigate the American Zionist Council. Therefore, an independent lobbying committee was formed, which years later was renamed [AIPAC]." [SPIEGEL, p. 52].[citation needed] Today, AIPAC has over 100,000 members.[1]
Activities and stated goals
AIPAC's stated purpose is to lobby the Congress of the United States on issues and legislation "to ensure that the U.S.-Israel relationship is strong so that both countries can work together" to meet the challenges of "stopping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, fighting terrorism and achieving peace".[2] AIPAC has been effective in gaining support for Israel among members of Congress and White House administrations.
The New York Times described AIPAC on July 6, 1987 as "a major force in shaping United States policy in the Middle East."