Army Chief of Staff discusses future training for soldiers | chief, staff, discusses - Desert Dispatch: "After five years of training soldiers for missions exclusively in Iraq and Afghanistan, Fort Irwin may be preparing them for conflicts in other regions by August of this year, the U.S. Army’s most senior officer said during a visit to the training center Saturday.
Gen. George W. Casey also said that by October, soldiers will be able to deploy with the expectation of spending two years at home when they return to the U.S. The U.S. Army chief of staff spoke with Fort Irwin commanders on how the National Training Center is preparing itself for future missions.
Casey will retire from his position in April. Defense Secretary Robert Gates nominated Gen. Martin E. Dempsey as Casey’s replacement earlier this month.
After saying in 2007 that demand for the Army’s forces exceeded its resources, the number of soldiers have grown by 100,000, Casey said. Meanwhile in Iraq, forces have dwindled to 50,000 soldiers from 150,000. The draw down in troops from Iraq will allow soldiers to spend more time at home with their families, he said.
As the U.S. prepares for missions outside Iraq and Afghanistan, the National Training Center and others are developing more versatile training exercises. The Combat Training Center at Fort Polk recently began training soldiers for combat in other areas, Casey said. The NTC will do the same later in 2011."
