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Pentagon Orders Longer Tours for Soldiers in Iraq
All active-duty Army troops now in Iraq or Afghanistan or headed to either country will serve 15-month tours of duty, up from the usual 12-month tours, effective immediately, the Pentagon announced today.Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates called the change a difficult and necessary interim step and said it would at least give soldiers and their families more predictability than they have now. The change will not affect National Guard or Army Reserve troops, who will continue to serve 12-month tours. Nor will it affect the Marine Corps, whose members are deployed overseas for seven months and come home for six months, Gen. Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said. Posted by: Fred 2007-04-12 |
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