House Passes Bill that Could Lead to Reduced Deployments

The U.S. house passed a bill yesterday that requires the army to study the pros and cons of reducing the length of deployment in a combat zone.

Tennessee Congressman John Tanner sponsored the bill after hearing from military families in Fort Campbell, whose soldiers are deployed for up to a year.

“I know it would be a morale booster from talking to our people in uniform and that’s what I’m interested in doing first and foremost. And also, as we study this, I believe that the merits are going to outweigh the shortcomings of this idea.”

Under Tanner’s proposal, Army officials would be given 90 days study the effects of a six-month deployment versus a year-long deployment. Other military branches, like the Navy, currently use a six-month deployment guideline.

The measure has not yet been voted on in the Senate.