Pentagon: 2nd BCT unit will return to Iraq short of 'dwell time' pending final approval

Above: Soldiers of the 6th Infrantry provide security from a street corner during a foot patrol in Ramadi in August

BAUMHOLDER, Germany — After several weeks of review, U.S. Army Europe said Friday that a company of 1st Armored Division, 2nd Brigade soldiers would deploy as scheduled in November, just nine months after returning from their last Iraq deployment.

However, Pentagon officials said the decision had not been given final approval.

If it deploys, Company A, 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment will do so without the full 12-month dwell time called for under Army policy. The policy, adjusted in April by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, requires soldiers to deploy for 15 months instead of 12. That three-month extension is to be offset by a so-called dwell time of no less than a year.

Read the rest at Stars and Stripes

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