tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711557.post7528631447346861806..comments2024-03-24T20:40:46.666-04:00Comments on Pan-African News Wire: US Occupation Update: 7 NATO Troops Killed in Afghanistan;
Anti-American Demos in Iraq; Military Crackdown on DesertersPan-African News Wirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958190577776906688noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711557.post-16679591232504550532007-04-11T15:58:00.000-04:002007-04-11T15:58:00.000-04:00EXCLUSIVE: Pentagon Considers Extended Tours for A...EXCLUSIVE: Pentagon Considers Extended Tours for All Soldiers<BR/><BR/>ABC News Has Learned New Plan Would Accommodate Bush Troop Surge<BR/><BR/>By JONATHAN KARL<BR/><BR/>April 10, 2007 — - ABC News has learned that the Pentagon is considering extending the tours of duty for every active duty soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan. <BR/><BR/>Forget small extensions and trickles of National Guard troops. Under the proposal, deployments for active duty soldiers would be extended from the current 12 months to 15 months. Senior Defense Department officials say the idea has already been presented to Defense Secretary Gates. A decision is expected as early as this week.<BR/><BR/>"These soldiers have paid the price for this policy for four years. Now they are being given an additional burden to bear, and it will be a cause of concern for the soldiers and even more so for the families," says retired Gen. William Nash.<BR/><BR/>The stress on the Army has been compounded by the surge of additional forces the president announced in January, a surge Iraq commander David Petreaus wants to extend. Senior officials tell ABC News there is now consensus at the Pentagon and the White House that Petreaus is right. The surge needs to be extended, until at least the end of the year.<BR/><BR/>Defense officials say extending the surge is simply impossible to do without either extending the tours of those troops already there, or dramatically cutting the time soldiers spend back home. <BR/><BR/>The Army is proposing an across-the-board extension in part because it is considered to be fairer than imposing piecemeal extensions on individual units. It will also erase uncertainty: Soldiers will know ahead of time how long they'll be in Iraq.<BR/><BR/>"A clear policy that applies to all is greatly appreciated by soldiers," Nash said. "It is the unknown that is more of a problem." <BR/><BR/>This plan would be unwelcome news to soldiers who have already had two and sometimes three deployments in Iraq, but officials say there is something of a silver lining: Under the plan, soldiers would be guaranteed at least 12 months at home between deployments.<BR/><BR/>The proposal would not affect the 25,000 Marines now serving in Iraq, although there has been discussion at the Pentagon of extending Marine deployments as well. The Marines currently serve seven-month tours in Iraq.<BR/><BR/>Copyright © 2007 ABC News Internet VenturesPan-African News Wirehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10958190577776906688noreply@blogger.com