Posted on Oct 27, 2016
CPT Executive Officer
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Is it time to reconsider the length of Army deployments? The Air Force, Coast Guard and Marines have 6 month deployments. Does this help family stability and longevity. Should the reserves or National Guard have shorter deployments then active duty? What are the benefits of shorter or longer deployments?
Edited 9 y ago
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PO1 Cryptologic Technician (Technical)
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You can't just have a specific number to a deployment since they all are different based on mission capability, hostility, etc. Some missions only take 4 months when others take 8. Being in the Navy, we have our deployments that stretch into the 10 month period when usually it should be in the 6 months. If it were easy enough, 6-8 Max would be my line.
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MSG Food Service Specialist
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I had a 20 month deployment and a 10 month, both different experiences , I is crazy to have anything less then 10-12 months. Waste of time and money anything less
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SPC City Carrier
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Great write-up.

During my time in the Air Force Security Forces, I would do 6 months away then 6 months home. I actually had one time where I was in Iraq and was relieved by an individual who I relieved just 6 months prior. So while the deployments may be shorter, there is no short supply of continuity on the Air Force front.

What the AD side should possibly be doing is having more continuity like the Army Reserves Civil Affairs have. Each unit is responsible for a different country and or countries. This provides that continuity that we should be requiring for deployments. Also ensures that "We will be back".
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PVT Mark Brown
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Edited 7 y ago
Not sure. What is the length of deployment in today's Army. Back in the day, 1960's and 70's (Vietnam) Tour was 13 months for most part with an R & R of up to 4 weeks during that time. I stayed over for 27 months and I was ok with that. I looked forward to R&R trips and to Bob Hope Shows. In fact when I learned a few years ago that rotations were 6 months I was really surprised. Then I have a good buddy who is a O-3 and was due for retirement. Just as soon as he submitted his retirement papers the Army offered him O-4 if he would extend and take a tour in Iraq. He declined with 22 years, he worked his way through the enlisted ranks until he finished college. Anyway, after he refused the Army's generous offer they denied his request for retirement unless he resigned his commission, which he did not want to do. Well, the good ole Army extended him for 18 months with NO advancement in rank and put him in the sand box for 15 months after 3 months of prep training. (He was changed from medical support MOS to Psy Ops!) Anyway, he is home and well.
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SPC Member
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9 y
Sounds like Uncle Sugar. As I understand tours are 12-18 months right now, I could be wrong though. I hadn't heard of shorter tours unless it was for specialized units or outside the Army.
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SPC Scott Wyland
SPC Scott Wyland
7 y
Sounds like Don Corleone made him an offer and he refused.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
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The Marines don't really have 6 month deployments, even in peace time. We have 24 month "cycles" with 12 up, 12 down, where 6 are "high" and 6 are "low." The preceding 6 months to those are shifts from one to the other. As an example, prior to a MEU (SOC), there is normally a RIMPAC or other SOC qualifier event, as well as a CAX for Conventional Warfare Qualification.

But our deployments are also based on our resources. You have 3 MEUs on the West & East Coast (each) rotating with their respective ARG and BLTs. A 18-24 month schedule works out almost perfectly. If we had 4 MEUs, it would be shorter. If it was 2, it would be longer.
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PVT Mark Brown
PVT Mark Brown
7 y
Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS In order to understand what you just said I will need a little help. What do the following acronyms mean?: MEU (SOC), PIMPAC, SOC, CAX, ARG, BLTs. Also what do you mean "with 12 up, 12 down, where 6 are "high" and 6 are "low."?'
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
7 y
In order: Marine Expeditionary Unit (the smallest MAGTF), Rim of the Pacific Exercise, Special Operations Capable, Combined Arms Exercise (29 Palms), Amphibious Ready Group, Battalion Landing Team (part of a MAGTF).

What I mean is that we have a split 24 month cycle where the active MEU is 12 months on and 12 months off. During the 12 months on, there is the traditional 6 months "deployed" (high tempo) and and a 6 moths of training (work up) or "low tempo."
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LCpl Cody Collins
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I was stationed at Okinawa, right out of boot camp. It was for 12 months, it went by pretty fast.
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PVT Mark Brown
PVT Mark Brown
9 y
HOW DID YOU LIKE OKINAWA? DURING THE VIETNAM WAR I HAD MANY OCCASIONS TO MY RESUPPLY TRIPS TO OK'Y. PRETTY COOL PLACE IF YOU ASK ME.
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LCpl Cody Collins
LCpl Cody Collins
9 y
Yes it was ! Beer was cheap, food was cheap and Momma - San was cheap also. : )PVT Mark Brown -
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SPC John Decker
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I would say either 6 or 9 months. Then, at least that long of stateside down time before redeployment.
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SGM Bill Frazer
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Look at it this way- 30 days to acclimate, 30-60 days to learn the terrain and people, 30-60 days to learn how/like to use to kill you, adjust to the higher command- Then it takes you 30-60 days to start to shut down and brief the incoming groups advance party. So you have spent 7 months and just when were you going to do your assigned job?
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COL William Oseles
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Short tours can be extremely detremental in that by the time the unit learns the people and the area they are leaving.
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CW3 Kevin Storm
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I would say there is a lot of questions in there. First I think the Guard should not be called up before Active units of the same type of unit. I still scratch my head when I see a NG unit get called up when there is an active unit sitting there who hasn't deployed. Second, length of tour, as it takes the Army months to do anything for a deployment you have to get something out of that, or you will be calling up units all the time. As for the other services, Most of the Army never floats on a boat, or has to fly missions all over. So there is that. Lastly, our force structure is such that it is so damn expensive to send units over, you may as well leave them for a while.
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