Pentagon to Extend Service for All Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan

12 months just became 15 months for the US soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Is Bush supporting the troops with this? Could it be that we are overextended already and another major conflict would leave us sitting out greater changes?

The Pentagon will extend the tours of duty for every active-duty soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As ABC News first reported Tuesday, this plan was in consideration, but will be announced today by the secretary of defense and chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

Forget small extensions and trickles of National Guard troops. Under the plan, deployments for active-duty soldiers will be extended from the current 12 months to 15 months. This will apply to all active-duty soldiers, but not to the National Guard and Reserve.


More at source...

Support the troops, end the war.

Congress needs to shorten their Easter Vacation and get back to work. Going on vacation and leaving the troops with no funds is dispicable.

Longer tours is a direct result of improper funding. Not enough money for training new soldiers, and transporting and rotating troops home isn't free.

If you support the troops, demand that Congress approve a Iraq War spending bill ASAP!

Yep, next comes the draft in my opinion. It may be another year or two away but I think it is inevitable, especially if we go after Iran.

When you think about it,nothing has changed. MANY soldiers' tours were already being extended while in country. Now it is official. Doesnt make it any better,just more of the same.National Guard troops have it the worst.

Originally posted by Kr0n0s
Yep, next comes the draft in my opinion. It may be another year or two away but I think it is inevitable, especially if we go after Iran.

I too see a draft coming. I don't see the military being able to keep voluntary enlistments up when they pull this stuff all the time. Eventually, many people will realize that signing up for a stint in the military is like signing up to be kicked in the crotch.

Much respect to the soldiers for what they choose to do. It is a shame they are repeatedly screwed like this.

The only group doing 15 month tours is the army the marines only do 7 just incase you didnt know.

The draft wont happen because we still have a huge military and people are still enlisting plus if the army and marines are wiped out then comes the national guard as a whole then the military calls back officers then a few other things then the draft. I didnt know their were national guard in Iraq at least not to my knowledge. Im a solider and I havent been screwed.

RRconservative thanks for your support.

EDIT FOR SPELLING.



[edit on 13-4-2007 by 19 Kilo]

The draft wont happen because we still have a huge military and people are still enlisting plus if the army and marines are wiped out then comes the national guard as a whole then the military calls back officers then a few other things then the draft. I didnt know their were national guard in Iraq at least not to my knowledge. Im a solider and I havent been screwed.

Huge military,ok. Huge number of combat personnel,not so. The burden of fighting rests on the army and marine corps. They are the ones feeling the stretch.

Nat'l guard troops are there,and have been for a while with more to come soon.

news.yahoo.com...

Numbers for the Army: 37 percent active duty, 30 percent national guard, and 34 percent reserve.

uspolitics.about.com...

Been recalling people for a while now: usmilitary.about.com...

That's good you havent been screwed like so many have. I have a friend in the marines who's been lucky enough to have security detail in spain,guarding embassies etc.

Well your friend is lucky that he doesnt have to fight right now. We do have a ton of people to fight look it up with the army and the marines fighting its over 2 million not counting the reserves but not the national guard all trained to fight or training to fight.

There are members of the National Guard from just about every state in the Union in Iraq or Afghanistan. When Katrina hit La, there were no La NG to help which is why members from bigger states and the Federal Troops came in.
The last I heard the total numbers of our Military were just under 1 million, even under Reagan I dont think we were ever more than 1.5 to 1.75 million.
I have not looked up this information, it is all from memory so please do correct me if I am wrong.
I feel for our troops, i really do.
My dad was a Veteran from Nam and then a Cop for 30 years, so all the time i was growing up I really wanted to join the military and fight somewhere.
As I got old enough to join I really wanted in something that was going to be active and doing something all the time, other than marching and running, so i joined the Coast Guard instead.

[edit on 16-4-2007 by Kr0n0s]

Originally posted by Kr0n0s
Yep, next comes the draft in my opinion. It may be another year or two away but I think it is inevitable, especially if we go after Iran.

I prefer the draft then having this happen to troops..

This will only drive down recruitment numbers yet again..

I agree, sooner or later, it will be a draft anyways at this rate..

Ok well after going ahead and looking it up myself I found some numbers at Wikipedia, hopefully they are accurate, cant believe i was so far off. I dont know where i got the idea that our numbers were so low.

btw, im not so concerned about myself regarding the draft but my son will be 18 in five years and I'll do whatever I have to do to make sure that he does not die in a desert somewhere in the middle east.

Approximately 1,426,713 personnel are currently on active duty in the military with an additional 1,259,000 personnel in the seven reserve components (53,000 of whom are in the Army and Air National Guard).[6] As it is currently a volunteer military, there is no conscription. Women are not allowed to serve in some combat assignments, but they are allowed to serve in most non-combat specialties. Due to the realities of war some of these non-combat positions see combat regularly. [7]

United States Military

[edit on 16-4-2007 by Kr0n0s]

My numbers were a little large but you get the picture.

I think the military is good for everyone but alot of people would rather just not have anything to do with their lives. Most people wont join in times of war but at peace they are all for it. What I dont understand is people here have it so good they dont have to serve in most countries you do kids now take it as of there is someone always willing to fight for me so I dont have to. One day though these people are going to be in for a big surprise.