Dwell Time Could Expand

The dwell time soldiers spend at home between deployments could expand to as long as 24 months by 2011, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the Army chief of staff, told the House Armed Services Committee during a May 18 hearing. Whether that happens will depend on how well the Obama administration’s plan to reduce U.S. military presence in Iraq proceeds, said Casey, who appeared before the lawmakers with Army Secretary Pete Geren to discuss the service’s budget request for fiscal year 2010. "Dwell time," Casey said, "gives our soldiers time to recover from combat tours — and [the current] 12 months is not enough."