Our troops need more time between deployments

Our troops need more time between deployments

A Marine is reunited with his family at Twentynine Palms after a fifth tour of duty to Iraq. (Lance Iversen / The Chronicle)

Ellen Tauscher

Thursday, February 12, 2009
Having fought two wars on two fronts for more than seven years, our troops are tired and our military's equipment is worn out.

The demands of multiple deployments in quick succession have taken a toll on our troops, who suffer on a personal level, experiencing higher rates of suicide, divorce and post-traumatic stress disorder. This has hampered the military's ability to respond to another crisis somewhere else in the world to protect America's interests.

That's why Congress must pass legislation making sure the military services guarantee "dwell time," a period of time to rest and regroup, for our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.

Active-duty troops should have at least a month of rest for every month they were deployed in a combat zone. Reservists and National Guardsman should have at least three months of rest for each month of deployment.

The pace of deployments needed to sustain combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan has taken a toll on our servicemen and servicewomen, who silently endure emotional fatigue and distress. They have missed their children's births, their parents' funerals and learned of divorces on blogs and Web sites.
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