Top US Army officials told lawmakers on Tuesday that the length of combat tours must be reduced to alleviate the strain on the military. “The cumulative effects of the last six-plus years at war have left our Army out of balance, consumed by the current fight and unable to do the things we know we need to do to properly sustain our all-volunteer force and restore our flexibility for an uncertain future,” said General George Casey, chief of staff of the Army. Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Casey said that cutting the time soldiers spend in combat is an integral part of reducing the stress on the force. Casey said he believes the Army can reduce combat tours from 15 months to 12 months this year if the number of active-duty Army brigades in Iraq and Afghanistan is reduced to 15 units by July as planned. “We are consuming readiness now, as quickly as we're building it,” said Army Secretary Pete Geren, who also testified. Geren also urged Congress to pass a $100 billion war spending bill this spring. He said the Army would run out of money by July without the funding. The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service has said that the Army could probably stretch its funds until August or September by transferring money from less urgent accounts, but Army officials say that would be inefficient and could cause major program disruptions.
