Should the Army decrease the length of deployments?

Before OIF the deployments for the Army were 6 months. With OEF going on and then added OIF the Army was stretching thin and went to 12 months. Now were are back to pre-OIF since 2011, I think it's long overdue that we need to go back to the 6 months rotation to parts of the world that we are just there to show of force only.

There is no easy answer to this. By keeping rotations at a year or less, we may have extended our operations because with every RIP/TOA, new commanders had to build relationships with all the local leaders. This hurt consistency in our efforts as every commander would do things differently and in some cases stop what the previous unit did. I also think that the constant rotation of units in and out make it feel less like it is an Army at war vs. it is now our turn.

I think this should depend on your units mision. I am support and 1year away sucks but is tolerable because for the most part I live and work on a FOB. Tours for folks that go out on patrol or pn mission need much shorter tours to retain a bit of sanity,

Three to four month deployments is one significant attraction of SOF.

I feel that 9 months should be a minimum with 15 being the longest. You could also have augments from other units fill in if it starts to seem like you are going to need more troops.

I don't think so. That would just make for more multiple deployments. Too hard on the soldier and his family.

No.

No.

they need to cut them down to ( months unless a specific soldier wishes to stay longer and work with incoming Unit...

This is misleading, as you can not compare any of those branches together. The reason is Marines and Navy go out on deployment, for 6-8 Months then return home for training, and workups for next deployment, 12 month home port then back out 6-8 month's. The other issue is Equipment certifications, AirForce and Navy have some more complex systems that have to be re certified after so much use, not like MRAPS or Tanks. Army units are not always deploying on a regular bases, if not at war like Marines, Navy, and Airforce. The other thing is when Marines deploy like OEF/OIF it is 9-10 months, not 6. The 6-8 month deployment and 12 back then out is slandered for Navy and Marine Corps with or without a war, the Army does not deploy all the time like the other branches. If we were not a war the Army would hardly ever deploy, like the other branches.

So remember the same Marine unit on that 6 month deployment MUE, only gets 12 months home then back out for 6-8 months and repeat cycle, this is why we get a Sea Service or Deployment ribbon were as you receive overseas, that is why yours is a 12 month deployment, you are on a year overseas duty station, that is why your DD214's are different form Marines and Navy. I would have given anything to do 1 year out then 2 or 3 years back like Army does, but we don't, and we are lucky they changed to 6-8 out and 12 back it use to be 6 out 6 back then repeat, but that is what the Navy and Marine Mission is to be forward presence, the Army does not have that same mission per-say.