NY Times, McClatchy uncritically reported Bush claim that Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 13:08:04 -0400

NY Times, McClatchy uncritically reported Bush claim that congressional actions will extend troops' tours of duty

http://mediamatters.org/items/200704050002

An April 4 New York Times article -- titled "Bush Blames Democrats for Impasse Over Iraq Bills" -- uncritically reported President Bush's April 3 assertion that in the Times' words, "a failure by Congress to approve the $100 billion" Bush "had requested for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan would prolong some tours in Iraq and shorten time at home between tours for others." Similarly, McClatchy Newspapers reported on April 3 without refutation Bush's claim that, "[t]he bottom line is this, Congress's failure to fund our troops on the front lines will mean that some of our military families could wait longer for their loved ones to return from the front lines," and "[o]thers could see their loved ones heading back to the war sooner than they need to." In fact, although both articles noted that the House and Senate have passed funding bills (undermining Bush's accusation that it's the Congress that would be denying funding to the troops), by simply reporting Bush's claim about having to force extended tours in Iraq and curtail troops' time away from battle -- they both left out a key point: The administration has already forced extended tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and has curtailed thousands of soldiers' time at home, away from a war zone -- and reports indicate that this will continue in the future.

Currently, the Marine Corps operates under a 1:1 deployment-to-dwell ratio, meaning the length of a unit's deployment is equal to the length of time that unit is at its "home station." According to news reports, the Marines are currently engaging in seven-month tours. The Army reportedly operates under a similar deployment-to-dwell ratio, with units being deployed for 12 months then returning home for 12 months. But, due to the ongoing conflicts in both Iraq and Afghanistan as well as Bush's mandated Iraq troop increase, numerous military units have found their tours extended or their time away from the war zone curtailed. For instance:

Moreover, military officials have repeatedly warned that if Bush's troop increase continued through 2008, members of the armed forces could see their time at home shortened and their tours extended. A March 29 article in The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk, Virginia, reported that, according to Air Force Gen. Lance Smith, "Soldiers and Marines can expect longer tours of duty in Iraq and perhaps less time at home before redeploying if the current 'surge' of more than 20,000 additional troops has to be sustained into 2008," adding that "[i]t would be very difficult" to extend the surge without such steps. According to The Virginian-Pilot, Smith added: " 'There is a high probability" that the military would have to break some of its guidelines for the interval between deployments if the surge goes beyond February" 2008. On March 15, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter J. Shoomaker warned the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Army's deployment-to-dwell ratio was "not sustainable" in "a surge situation." As a result, according to Shoomaker, the National Guard and the Army Reserve are "going to have to deploy more frequently than what we would like the normal situation." A March 8 New York Times report noted that Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of the Multinational Force in Iraq, "recommended that the heightened American troop levels there be maintained through February 2008." According to the Times, "[a]ny extension of the troop buildup would add to the strain on Army and Marine forces that have already endured years of continuous deployments."

From the April 4 New York Times article "Bush Blames Democrats for Impasse Over Iraq Bills":

Mr. Bush warned that a failure by Congress to approve the $100 billion he had requested for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan would prolong some tours in Iraq and shorten time at home between tours for others. "That is unacceptable to me," he said. "And I believe it is unacceptable to the American people.

From the April 3 McClatchy wire report "Bush Accuses Democrats of Hurting the Iraq War Effort":

In a wide-ranging news conference that also touched on a Supreme Court ruling, gasoline prices and Middle East diplomacy, Bush stressed his belief that Democrats are being "irresponsible" on Iraq. He repeated his threat to veto any bill that contains a troop-withdrawal date, warned that if war-funding legislation isn't signed by mid-April it could force cuts in equipment and training, and said further delay could force extended tours of duty for soldiers there.

[...]

"The bottom line is this," the president said in the White House Rose Garden. "Congress' failure to fund our troops on the front lines will mean that some of our military families could wait longer for their loved ones to return from the front lines. Others could see their loved ones heading back to the war sooner than they need to."

Contact:
McClatchy Newspapers
Contact:
The New York Times		 Byron Calame, NY Times public editor
public@nytimes.com
New York Times
letters@nytimes.com
executive-editor@nytimes.com
managing-editor@nytimes.com

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