Forces Strained in Iraq Mission, Congress Is Told: "The Army portrayed its announcement of the extension, which was reported today by The Washington Post, as a clarification of a troop-rotation policy that Gen. John M. Keane, then the acting Army chief of staff, outlined on July 23. That policy included yearlong tours of duty for Army troops.
Army officials said today that the tour length referred to both active and reserve troops, whose tours would be measured by time on the ground. In prior call-ups, the one-year mobilization of reservists included training time, as well as time on the ground. The policy affects only those reservists currently in Iraq or Kuwait, and will not affect troops sent in the future, including two National Guard brigades scheduled to go to Iraq for six months next year.
The announcement today deepened the concern of many lawmakers and military officials that over-reliance on reservists could hurt morale. 'They are now stretched to the breaking point,' Senator Bill Nelson, Democrat of Florida, said of his state's National Guard.
And as the demands grow for both active-duty and reserve troops, Pentagon officials are nervously watching the long-term effects on recruiting and retention for both.
So far, however, the Army numbers are holding. Through the end of August, the Army had recruited 67,354 new soldiers, exceeding its year-to-date goal by 307, according to the Army Recruiting Command. In the same period, the Army Reserve had signed up 25,212 people, surpassing its goal for that period by 1,257."
Army officials said today that the tour length referred to both active and reserve troops, whose tours would be measured by time on the ground. In prior call-ups, the one-year mobilization of reservists included training time, as well as time on the ground. The policy affects only those reservists currently in Iraq or Kuwait, and will not affect troops sent in the future, including two National Guard brigades scheduled to go to Iraq for six months next year.
The announcement today deepened the concern of many lawmakers and military officials that over-reliance on reservists could hurt morale. 'They are now stretched to the breaking point,' Senator Bill Nelson, Democrat of Florida, said of his state's National Guard.
And as the demands grow for both active-duty and reserve troops, Pentagon officials are nervously watching the long-term effects on recruiting and retention for both.
So far, however, the Army numbers are holding. Through the end of August, the Army had recruited 67,354 new soldiers, exceeding its year-to-date goal by 307, according to the Army Recruiting Command. In the same period, the Army Reserve had signed up 25,212 people, surpassing its goal for that period by 1,257."
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