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Army May Have to Extend Deployments in Afghanistan

Feb. 15, 2013 11:59pm Jason Howerton

In this Monday, Jan. 14, 2013 photo, members of Afghan special forces head back to their center after attending in a live-fire training exercise on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan. Afghanistan’s army is training female special forces to take part in night raids against insurgents despite cultural taboos as foreign combat troops take the backseat ahead of their eventual departure at the end of 2014. In a country where women traditionally are expected to stay home, their participation in the special forces is breaking new ground in ultraconservative Afghanistan. Credit: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — Soldiers deployed to Afghanistan next year may see their war tours extended because budget cuts will drastically limit training for brigades to replace them, the top Army general said Friday.

Gen. Raymond Odierno, the Army chief of staff, said the military will be able to fund training and operations for combat units in Afghanistan now and for those deploying in the summer and fall. But he says there will be delays in training for those deploying in 2014.

If those training delays can’t be made up, Odierno said he would have to send forces to war that aren’t ready or extend deployments of units already there. A number of combat brigades will be deploying later this year and next year, even as the U.S. winds down the war.

“We will try to divert money so we do not have to extend people in Afghanistan,” Odierno told a conference at the Brookings Institution in Washington. “That’s a very big concern of mine.”

He said that right now the Army is facing a shortfall of as much as $8 billion in operating funds for Afghanistan, and there could be an additional $5.4 billion in cuts if Congress can’t resolve a budget standoff and automatic reductions – called sequester – go into effect.

Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, the Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said Friday that he expects the sequester to go into effect March 1, triggering $46 billion in automatic cuts to the overall Pentagon budget through September. “I think it’s going to happen,” McKeon told reporters. “We have just not been able to get past the politics of it to really focus in on the devastating effects.”

In this Monday, Jan. 14, 2013 photo, members of Afghan special forces conduct a training exercise on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan. Afghanistan’s army is training female special forces to take part in night raids against insurgents despite cultural taboos as foreign combat troops take the backseat ahead of their eventual departure at the end of 2014. In a country where women traditionally are expected to stay home, their participation in the special forces is breaking new ground in ultraconservative Afghanistan. Credit: AP

President Barack Obama announced this week that he will cut the size of the U.S. force roughly in half by a year from now. There are currently about 66,000 U.S. troops at the warfront, and he said he will withdraw about 34,000 by this time next year.

Longer deployments have been a difficult issue for the Army.

In 2007, the Army extended the yearlong deployments to 15 months in order to meet the demands of the Iraq war, including the surge of troops ordered by then-President George W. Bush. In many cases, combat brigades returned home and were ordered to deploy again 12 months later, leading top military leaders to worry that the force was being strained almost to the breaking point.

Over time, as the Iraq war ended, the Army deployment times were scaled back to a year, and most are now about nine months long.

Among the units scheduled to deploy later this spring is the 4th Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, based at Fort Stewart, Ga., but the Army has not announced what units will go to Afghanistan later in the summer in fall.

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Comments (66)

AbrahamsSheepdog
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 10:10am
Live fire and guy in the middle is duck huntin. This administration is really gonna screw things up real badly. Who would be dumb enough to sign up under him?

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- The_Jerk
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 11:47am
  Bring’em all home.
  
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- NaughtyNala2k4
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 12:10pm
  Isn’t that the point?
  
  Report this comment
- AbrahamsSheepdog
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 3:44pm
  Looking at the second pic I like the tactical shadows too. We will pay for our unreadness and deathbone thin military who are restricted like us by following the ridiculous rules.
  
  Report this comment
- tonypro
  Posted on February 17, 2013 at 2:45pm
  Maybe barry ocommie is trying to leave them there until he can get them indoctrinated into the U.N. death forces.
  
  ….and yes our military is so thin right now that our best chance of staving off an insertion on our soil will be the citizens, and guess how that’s going with all the gun grabbing. Soon we, I mean they will be defenseless.
  
  Report this comment
SocialistSlayer
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 10:02am
The Picture looks like just another day in LA to me !

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crusaderx9
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 9:44am
obama = carter²

We have returned to the late 1970s with our enemies circling as a democrat president weakens our economy, culture, and military.

obama owns sequestration, the faltering economy, the $16+ debt, the divided nation…

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- shorelineliz
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 2:24pm
  Except Obama is bent on revenge. He will leave our boys there in AFghanistan tour after tour. They will be so exhausted they will be killed. Meanwhile, Karzai will continue to LHAO in luxury as one diabolical payment is sent to his personal account after another. Meanwhile the AFghanistan treasury for the people will still be empty. Obama is just PAYING Karzai and the Taliban to take our boys out at this point. This is murder.
  
  Report this comment
B-Neil
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 9:36am
We were always tought to spread out, one grenade will get you all. Well when your waiting for orders from some clone from the other side of the world to give you permission to continue the mission, theres a tendence to bunch up. I’ sorry. I’m just to old to recognize or understand this modern warfare.

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1000-yd-stare
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 9:35am
It would be far simpler to remove the Marxist tyrant and his minions. I can tolerate Boehner until new elections can be setup.

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AUsername
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 9:29am
illegal occupation by the worlds most dangerous and disturbers of peace.

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- shorelineliz
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 2:26pm
  It’s only “illegal” if Karzai stops getting his monthly check. That guy has been paid billions. HE probably lives in the South of France. I mean, Russia.
  
  Report this comment
VetMike
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 9:21am
So our brothers and sisters get to spend even more time in the sand box. You can bet your last dollar the welfare checks won’t be late.

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- skunkbear
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 9:58am
  VETMIKE, “So our brothers and sisters get to spend even more time in the sand box.”
  
  I have yet to hear a coherent statement as to why exactly amerikan forces are in Afghanistan, so I will ask you Mike, why is the amerikan military “in the sand box?”
  
  Report this comment
Acena
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 8:50am
EXREPUBLISHEEP
11 million illegals,2 million muslim refugees and 20 million gang members who he allows to continue to rape,rob and murder American citizens everyday ,he has armed,fed welfare,educated and is claiming they are the new middle class.

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woodyee
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 8:10am
The Repubs WILL CAVE on the sequester – we’re being set up for what has already been decided.

In the meantime, I don’t hear a clarion call to bring our boys home, from the Left, because it’s Obammy’s war now, and we all know the modern history of US wars in the hands of DemonicRats – LOSE! (one exception – WW2).

Bring our all-volunteer military home NOW! Institute a draft, or mandatory service, beginning with eligible children of all politicians – NO EXCEPTIONS – and rebuild or send them. All-Volunteer service ONLY SERVES to bleed our Country of patriots, while their detractors enjoy the fruits of their labor on a couch, at home, on EBT, WIC, and Student Loans, playing war games on computers and insisting the games make them veterans. While we scrounge for phones to donate to our troops, these scalawags get Bama-phones!

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- Gonzo
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 8:18am
  Woodeye, “I don’t hear a clarion call to bring our boys home, from the Left” You haven’t heard a peep from them since Bush left for Texas, have you? Pretty much confirms that they never really cared about the men and women in uniform. They just like having them as a political pawn when it was useful.
  
  Report this comment
- soybomb315_II
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 8:22am
  right on all accounts
  
  Report this comment
- skunkbear
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 9:54am
  WOODYEE, “Institute a draft…”
  
  No. If you want to go fight a war of aggression go do it yourself. But do not enslave me and mine or any one else for your twisted views.
  
  Report this comment
ares338
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 7:57am
So, because the Obamas can’t stop taking costly vacations troops have to suffer more time in the armpit of the world. That sounds about right.

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- skunkbear
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 10:02am
  ARES338, can you explain exactly why amerikan forces are in the armpit of the world?
  
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soybomb315_II
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 7:13am
what this means is that we will become more bankrupt and more chris kyles will die

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- 13th Imam
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 9:31am
  Vote for Rue Paul Again. I think he can pull it out still.
  
  Report this comment
- soybomb315_II
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 10:26am
  rue paul was better than any other republican on that stage.
  
  but you are badly mistaken – as i voted for gary johnson in the general (aka the best person on the ballot)
  
  Report this comment
- riseandshine
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 11:50am
  Give me a ballot…I’ll vote for Ron Paul again.
  
  Report this comment
media-bias-steals-elections
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 6:06am
Every dime sent to an Islamic nation supports the religion of Islam, violating the 1st amendment of American citizens, lets wrap this up and never look back?

We don’t find stories about Afghanistan interesting, or anything about the Middle East interesting anymore, our grand fathers taught them how to fish, we’ve buried or are in the processing of burying our grand fathers, its time for the next generation to do greater things?

President Obama is not to blame, George Bush is not to blame, every American that refuses to articulate to our politicians that we demand that they stop using American public treasuries to support the religion of Islam are to blame?

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Gonzo
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 6:05am
Scare tactics to make the sequester look draconian. Watch Rand Paul deliver the Tea Party response to the SOTU. It takes 13 minutes and explains more about the sequester than anything else you’ve seen on TV.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8POlWwFbn4E

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Living In NYC
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 5:01am
Well dahhh…didn’t the USSR go broke fighting in this country in the 1980′s.

Emperor Barry is so full of himself he wasted lives and valuable assets on a war that can never be won! If the fool would study history he may not have a surge in 2009! We should left limited forces or bailed out then!

But, Emperor Barry is the smartest man in the room knows (no he is nothing more than a fool!). Shoot off a couple of drones that do it!

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The_Almighty_Creestof
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 4:17am
We need to just bring them home. Tell these poor, oppressed muslims, that if they don’t like the way the taliban is treating them…then take up arms and wipe them out.

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- NaughtyNala2k4
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 12:17pm
  These wars are just about control. Control of opium production, control of natural gas pipe lines, oil, minerals. They don’t care about people or soldiers.
  
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welovetheUSA
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 2:11am
Ofcourse the theives need to steal more tax dollars.

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- rightwingtunes.com
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 2:44am
  Worse than the money, this President has no clue as to a mission, and objective, or a National Security Doctrine. He simply speaks in platitudes, and runs back and forth between jobs, freebies, hot stove failings abroad, and Hollywood appearances. He is an utter joke.
  
  Report this comment
mwild67
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 1:46am
Has there been a single kept promise from POTUS in 4+ years? Well, you know…. except fundamental change, I mean.

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- GO-FOR-LIBERTY
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 6:19am
  Yes—-more vacations!
  
  Report this comment
Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 1:13am
I zoomed in on those pictures. Either those are the fugliest women, or they are all men.
I though Zero promised o bring them home? We don’t need to waste any more of our treasury or American lives over there, on wasted efforts, because as soon as the Tolly-bon come back, the Afghani’s will cave and let them take over, again.

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- VetMike
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 9:26am
  Most of the women I saw over there (what you could see of them) were not exactly beauty queens but I agree, those look all men.
  
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valleyfever
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 12:52am
Bring them all home with our eternal thanks for a job well done. Don’t waste another American life.

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- SaturdaysWarrior76
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 6:26am
  Agree! Bring them home! We need them HERE. This has gone on long enough. Bring our Troops home now.
  
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TotallyNotATroll
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 12:51am
And after we leave, what do you think happens to these afghan female soldiers? Afghan will go back into Taliban hands, al qaeda etc, I agreed with attacking these countries and pounding them back into the stone age, but this whole ‘rebuilding’ thing is ridiculous and just drains our cash and they won’t like us after we leave, nor do they like us now.

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- soybomb315_II
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 7:37am
  i am thinking that all that newly printed money has to go somewhere or else we will have massive inflation here…..
  
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- skunkbear
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 10:12am
  TOTALLYNOTATROLL, “I agreed with attacking these countries and pounding them back into the stone age…”
  
  And by what authority does amerika have to do that?! It is not in the Constitution that it is the duty of the federal gubment to wage war on countries that do not attack us. More importantly, it is immoral to kill innocent people. Why is that so hard for so many people to understand?
  
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dosdelgados
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 12:50am
So we have money for sensitivity training and DoD pride week but not deployment training? WTF?

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neverending
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 12:29am
This is total BS – bring everyone of our precious men and women home NOW – this commie in chief does not deserve such great American patriots who give their all for this country and the bastard in the whitehouse can’t even acknowledge them and use them only for his flippin photo ops. So frickin sick of this – too many, way too many have given their all and many, way too many have had their lives changed forever and not for the good.

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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 12:15am
Once again we see the utter fiasco and failure of Obama’s policies; on top of all this he is desperate to break the armed forces and replace them at home with his own loyal army who will not hesitate to take down US Citizens.

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- CatB
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 12:30am
  Seems if troop levels were at least holding steady they would not be doing this .. anyone know if reenlistments and new enlistments are down? .. I know I would not want to serve under the current regime.
  
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- Exrepublisheep
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 12:31am
  Who will this personal army be comprised of?
  
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showmerancher
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 12:11am
I’d kind of like to know how that works. The Defense budget has increased by over $100 Billion since 2009 when we had two wars going full speed. Since then we are out of Iraq, and winding down in Afghanistan. There SHOULD be lots of money left over somewhere… where did that go?

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- SUNTZU
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 1:56am
  Golf lessons for Obo,and ski vacation
  for the wife and kids
  money what money,we aint got no money
  Had to borrow money for gas for planes to go on
  vacations again.Been 6 weeks from last vacation
  had to get out of DC Starting to get to hot from all the questions,
  and giving me a hard
  time over Chuck Bagel.
  We are out of here,see you in the spring.
  
  Report this comment
- RLTW
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 9:16am
  Redistribution and the welfare state, it’s simple as that.
  
  Report this comment
Jake Dog2
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 12:06am
Obama: I wanted to pull the troops out but those Republicans are to blame. Oh yes and Bush too.

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- circleDwagons
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 8:24am
  What is stopping the Emperor from bringing them home? Want to save money close bases. Do we still need all our bases in Germany?
  
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