Army shortens tours in Iraq

The Army will return to 12 month deployments in Iraq beginning today.

The DoD said the continued decrease in violence in Iraq drove the decision to shorten the tours from 15 months to 12.

President Bush announced the change yesterday, noting that July marked the third straight month of decreased violence.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the shortened tours will have a positive impact on both the mission and the soldier's families.

“It’s a significant step, because 15-month deployments took an extraordinary toll,” Mullen said. “So to bring that back to 12 months for every active duty Army unit, I think, is a huge step in the right direction.”