Gates: Pentagon planning cutbacks in training and repair, will further extend combat tours if war funding delayed

A Soldier from 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division charges into a firefight in a mock town during a mission readiness exercise at Fort Stewart, Georgia

WASHINGTON — Lengthy delays in finalizing supplemental war funding could force Army leaders to extend some soldiers’ tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday.

Army officials are planning cutbacks in home-station training, cuts in repair of predeployment training equipment and delays in upgrades to barracks and family facilities at stations worldwide if the president’s $94 billion supplemental request isn’t approved by Congress by April 15, Gates said at a media roundtable.

If the funding impasse stretches past May 15, he said officials will consider even more severe measures: canceling orders on all repair parts for equipment not related to war, reducing repair work at all Army depots and sharply cutting predeployment training of some brigade combat teams.

“This in turn will cause units in theater to have their tours extended, because other units are not ready to take their place,” he said.

Read the rest at Stars and Stripes

Related Link:
Gates: U.S. ready to defend Mid-East interest 'for decades'

Related Link:
Army cuts training of 100 NCOs 5 weeks short to support Iraq surge

Related Link:
2 Army units will forgo desert training in rush to Iraq

Related Link:
Perspective: In rush to surge, soldiers sent in with little training

Related Link:
Gates: U.S. in Iraq for 'a number of years', but no desire for permanent bases

Related Link:
Gates: U.S. 'enduring presence' in Mid-East, 'will be here for a long time'

Related Link:
Bush seeks $245 billion more for war