Geren says Army speeding growth to boost dwell time

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Geren says Army speeding growth to boost dwell time
By Vince Little, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Monday, November 24, 2008

CAMP ZAMA, Japan — The Army has accelerated plans to grow its ranks in an effort to widen the span between downrange deployments, its top civilian leader said Saturday.

Army Secretary Pete Geren said the service wants to add 74,000 soldiers — including 65,000 on active duty — by 2010, about two years ahead of previous projections. The move means soldiers will see more time at home with families, and units will have a larger window to meet changing training needs, he added.

Right now, the Army’s 12-month tours to Iraq and Afghanistan are followed by a year back home "at best," he said.

"The one-to-one ratio cannot be sustained. It puts too much stress on the soldiers and too much stress on families," Geren said. "We recognize the Army is out of balance. We are working to put pieces in place to allow us to increase dwell time."

By the end of next year, it should reach 18 months, he said. And officials want to stretch home-station time to two years by 2011.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=59017