Mullen Weighs In on Dwell Time

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff envisions a time in the not-too-distant future when service members could count on staying in one duty station for longer periods, and with fewer deployments. But as long as Global War on Terror combat missions continue, full implementation of so-called "dwell time" changes will proceed slowly, says Navy Adm. Mike Mullen. "I think for us to get into any kind of balanced situation in the long run, it will take us years. And that will greatly depend on the future op tempo, specifically focused on Iraq and Afghanistan," Mullen told reporters during a Jan. 26 ship-christening ceremony at Pascagoula, Miss. Service members should see some positive changes as the total force grows by roughly 100,000 during the next four years, and strength in Iraq and Afghanistan is drawn down.