WASHINGTON — The Army will cut its yearlong war tours to nine months for most units that deploy after Jan. 1, although some high-demand units will continue to serve 12 months.
The Army says the change will not affect the combat troops heading to Iraq and Afghanistan this year.
The move comes as the Iraq war winds down, and as the U.S. begins what will be a slow, deliberate withdrawal from Afghanistan. Aviation and military police units are among those in high demand, and may continue serving 12 months.
The Army is also planning to cut more than 8,700 civilian jobs over the next year, with about half coming from support staff at bases and installations around the world. Those could include maintenance, administrative and security staff.
© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.