Landrieu Cosponsors Amendmentto Keep Troops Home With Their Families More Often

Press Release

Landrieu Cosponsors Amendmentto Keep Troops Home with their Families More Often

United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., today joined Senator Jim Webb, D-Va., in introducing an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act requiring that active duty troops have at least the same amount of time at home as their previous tour of duty overseas.

In addition to requiring a 1-to-1 year ratio for length of deployment to length of dwell time for active duty troops, the amendment also mandates a 1-to-3 year ratio for National Guard and Reserve units deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan.

"Our armed forces are completely overstretched with extended tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan," Sen. Landrieu said. "We have been fighting this war for four years, and it's time to give our fighting men and women a reprieve. This amendment will be a huge improvement to military retention for our National Guard and Reserve units by allowing these units the time they need to reunite with their families and adequately prepare for their next mission.

"We simply will not have the manpower we need to meet our next challenge, whatever it may be, unless our forces and their families receive the support they deserve."

American troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan currently face extended deployments with insufficient "dwell time" to rest with families and friends, retrain and re-equip before they are redeployed. The effects have been seen in rising mental health problems among service members serving multiple tours and falling retention rates for mid-grade officers and non-commissioned officers.

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