WASHINGTON (AP) - For just the second time since the war began, the Army is sending large units back to Iraq without giving them at least a year at home, defense officials said yesterday.

A combat brigade from New York and a Texas headquarters unit will return to Iraq this summer to maintain through August the military buildup President George W. Bush announced earlier this year. Overall, the Pentagon announced, 7,000 troops will go to Iraq in the coming months as part of the effort to keep 20 brigades in the country to bolster Baghdad security.

The Army will try not to shorten the troops’ U.S. time, "but in this case we had to," said an Army official, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. "Obviously right now the Army is stretched."

The 4th Infantry Division headquarters unit from Fort Hood, Texas, will return to Iraq after a little more than seven months at home - the largest departure to date from the Army’s goal of giving units at least a year’s rest after every year deployed. The 1st Brigade of the 10th Mountain Division, based at Ft. Drum, N.Y., will go back to Iraq after just 10½ months at home.

Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Advertisement