Georgia-based unit to become first in Army to serve 3 tours

There are about 141,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Army's 3rd Infantry Division, which helped lead the charge to Baghdad at the outset of the war, will return next year and become the first Army division to serve three tours in Iraq as the military continues straining to find troops for the conflict.
The 3rd Infantry, based at Fort Stewart, Ga., is among several units -- totaling 57,000 troops -- identified by the Pentagon on Friday for deployment in a fresh rotation of forces starting in January. The move, which a senior defense official described last week, does not presume any change in troop levels, nor is any major change expected for at least a few months.
More than 31/2 years into the war, the Army and Marine Corps are laboring to keep a steady flow of combat and support forces to Iraq while giving the troops sufficient time between deployments for rest and retraining.
Short of goal
Both services are far short of their goal of providing two years between deployments; the 3rd Brigade of the 3rd Infantry, for example, will have spent barely more than 12 months at home when it returns next year. The same is true for the division's 1st Brigade, which officials have said is scheduled to deploy again in January.
The announcement comes as some congressional Democrats, who are poised to take control of the House and Senate, continue to press for a substantial reduction of U.S. troops in Iraq, and a timetable for that drawdown.
There are about 141,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. Gen. John Abizaid, the top U.S. commander for the Middle East, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday that he believes troop levels ought to remain fairly steady for the time being, although he said all options are being considered, including a force increase.
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