Tours shortened.

Provided by 7DAYS.ae

US President George W Bush announced a return to shorter 12-month tours for US Army troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, ending 15-month tours that have strained the force. In a nationwide speech, Bush said he has ordered Defence Secretary Robert Gates "to reduce deployment lengths from 15 months to 12 months for all active army soldiers deploying to the Central Command area of operations."

He said the changes to the Central Command area, which covers Iraq and Afghanistan, are designed to "ease the burden on our troops and families" and will be effective for soldiers deploying after August 1. "We will also ensure that our army units will have at least a year home for every year in the field," Bush added in the speech carried on national television.

The longer tours were imposed a year ago to enable the surge of US forces to Iraq. Currently, there are over 150,000 US troops in Iraq. After the surge brigades leave, the total will be around 140,000 troops, which is still more than were deployed in Iraq before the surge. In his speech to the nation, Bush said Iraq was still too fragile to reduce US forces to below 140,000 troops in the country.

He announced that he would complete a limited withdrawal of US forces from Iraq in July, then freeze any further draw-downs to enable military commanders to review the war effort. "Our nation owes a special thanks to the soldiers and families who have supported this extended deployment," Bush said. "We owe a special thanks to all who served in the cause of freedom in Iraq.

"The stress on our force is real, but the joint (military) chiefs have assured me that our all volunteer force is strong and resilient enough to fight and win this war on terror," the president said.

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