By Bob Brewin
The surgeon generals of the Army, Navy and Air Force told senators on Wednesday that the optimal tour in Afghanistan and Iraq to reduce combat stress should be six to nine months with 18 months at home, far shorter than the cut in tours from 15 to 12 months ordered by President Bush last week.
Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker emphasized that his was a medical assessment of the optimal length for combat tours and that "operational imperatives dictate [length of] deployments."
Vice Adm. Adam Robinson, the Navy's surgeon general, said less time at home between deployments has had a "devastating" effect on troops and their families since the United States commenced operations in Iraq five years ago.
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