Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Mideast Stars and Stripes
February 3, 2008 By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Defense Secretary Robert Gates is “counting on” going back to 12-month Army tours downrange by the end of the year, he said Friday.
Gates traveled to Fort Campbell, Ky., on Friday to speak at the promotion ceremony of a former military assistant and to talk to deploying troops and to spouses of troops either deployed or preparing to deploy.
One of those spouses was Emily Bhatta, 25, whose husband, 1st Lt. David Bhatta, is in Iraq with the 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division.
Emily Bhatta said her husband missed the birth of his first daughter during this deployment.
She said the spouses raised the issue of 15-month deployments with Gates, who said the Defense Department was working toward 12-month deployments within the next couple of years.
“It’s not what I hoped to hear, but 12 is better than 15,” she said.
On the plane back from Fort Campbell, Gates told Stars and Stripes that the return to 12-month tours could happen this year.
“I am hopeful that by the end of the year or maybe even a little before, we could begin to scale back the deployments to 12 months,” he said.
When asked later how realistic this hope is, Gates said, “I’m counting on it.”
In April, the Army lengthened deployments to the U.S. Central Command theater of operations from 12 to 15 months to give Army units their full 12 months respite at home, known as “dwell time.”
Gates said the drawdown of troops in Iraq is a “key variable” in determining when the Army could resume 12-month tours.
The current plan calls for reducing U.S. troop strength from 20 brigade combat teams to 15 brigade combat teams by the end of July.
Media outlets have reported that further troop reductions in Iraq could be delayed to assess the drawdown of the “surge” units. Asked if such a pause could delay the return to 12-month deployments, Gates said no. “We are in a period right now where we will go through about two months without any drawdown at all in Iraq, so, you know, it all has to do with the pacing,” he said.
Gates has said previously that he hopes the U.S. military will be able to reduce its forces in Iraq to 10 brigade combat teams by the end of the Bush administration.
He said Friday that getting down to 10 brigade combat teams is not a prerequisite for returning to 12-month tours.
Gates declined to estimate exactly what number of brigade combat teams in Iraq that would allow shorter deployments for soldiers.
Asked why he was hopeful the Army could go back to 12-month tours by the end of the year, Gates said: “Well, I think partly because we don’t have to go to 10 [brigade combat teams], and partly because of successes in both recruitment and retention.”
Gates is one of several Defense officials who have talked about the possibility of shortening the soldiers’ 15-month deployments to the U.S. Central Command theater of operations.
In July, outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Peter Pace told troops in Afghanistan that Army deployments could go back to 12 months this spring.
In November, current Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen told a group of Army captains in Japan: “Fifteen months is too long. We’ve got to move off the 15 months.”
Gen. George Casey, Army chief of staff, said last month that Army deployments could go back to 12 months this summer as the “surge draws down.”
Gates said Friday the senior Defense Department leadership is aware of the hardships that 15-month tours pose to troops and their families.
“I would like nothing better before I get out of here to have back it at least 12 [months deployed] and 12 [months at home],” he said.
February 3, 2008 By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Defense Secretary Robert Gates is “counting on” going back to 12-month Army tours downrange by the end of the year, he said Friday.
Gates traveled to Fort Campbell, Ky., on Friday to speak at the promotion ceremony of a former military assistant and to talk to deploying troops and to spouses of troops either deployed or preparing to deploy.
One of those spouses was Emily Bhatta, 25, whose husband, 1st Lt. David Bhatta, is in Iraq with the 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division.
Emily Bhatta said her husband missed the birth of his first daughter during this deployment.
She said the spouses raised the issue of 15-month deployments with Gates, who said the Defense Department was working toward 12-month deployments within the next couple of years.
“It’s not what I hoped to hear, but 12 is better than 15,” she said.
On the plane back from Fort Campbell, Gates told Stars and Stripes that the return to 12-month tours could happen this year.
“I am hopeful that by the end of the year or maybe even a little before, we could begin to scale back the deployments to 12 months,” he said.
When asked later how realistic this hope is, Gates said, “I’m counting on it.”
In April, the Army lengthened deployments to the U.S. Central Command theater of operations from 12 to 15 months to give Army units their full 12 months respite at home, known as “dwell time.”
Gates said the drawdown of troops in Iraq is a “key variable” in determining when the Army could resume 12-month tours.
The current plan calls for reducing U.S. troop strength from 20 brigade combat teams to 15 brigade combat teams by the end of July.
Media outlets have reported that further troop reductions in Iraq could be delayed to assess the drawdown of the “surge” units. Asked if such a pause could delay the return to 12-month deployments, Gates said no. “We are in a period right now where we will go through about two months without any drawdown at all in Iraq, so, you know, it all has to do with the pacing,” he said.
Gates has said previously that he hopes the U.S. military will be able to reduce its forces in Iraq to 10 brigade combat teams by the end of the Bush administration.
He said Friday that getting down to 10 brigade combat teams is not a prerequisite for returning to 12-month tours.
Gates declined to estimate exactly what number of brigade combat teams in Iraq that would allow shorter deployments for soldiers.
Asked why he was hopeful the Army could go back to 12-month tours by the end of the year, Gates said: “Well, I think partly because we don’t have to go to 10 [brigade combat teams], and partly because of successes in both recruitment and retention.”
Gates is one of several Defense officials who have talked about the possibility of shortening the soldiers’ 15-month deployments to the U.S. Central Command theater of operations.
In July, outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Peter Pace told troops in Afghanistan that Army deployments could go back to 12 months this spring.
In November, current Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen told a group of Army captains in Japan: “Fifteen months is too long. We’ve got to move off the 15 months.”
Gen. George Casey, Army chief of staff, said last month that Army deployments could go back to 12 months this summer as the “surge draws down.”
Gates said Friday the senior Defense Department leadership is aware of the hardships that 15-month tours pose to troops and their families.
“I would like nothing better before I get out of here to have back it at least 12 [months deployed] and 12 [months at home],” he said.