Why are deployments in Iraq longer for the Army (12-16 monghs) than the Marines (7-8)?

Answer 1

The Marines have always ran rotation cycles of such lengths to forward areas even during peacetime. During the 1980s and early 1990s, my father served two seven month tours in Japan and Cuba respectively. This also fits into the navy rotation cycle of six to eight months for ships.

Answer 2

To the poster above me; the Marines are a much smaller force than the Army. The Army has the largest Military personnel.

As for the question;their rotations are more or less scheduled around the Navy's rotations because they can't miss their ride on the boats to and from the war. As much as the over bloated Marine ego would have people believe; the majority of the work being done over there is NOT being done by the Marines; but by the Army simply because the Army is built and trained for longer stays and is equipped to handle longer deployments.

Answer 3

I don't know the exact answer, all I know is the Marines basically get deployed, get sent home and then are redeployed again and again and again.
This has happened to every Marine I've ever known. I know an infantry guy who was deployed to Afganistan for 6 months, then to Iraq for 7 months, and is now gearing up to go back to Iraq, and he's only been in since 2003.
If I were to venture an uneducated guess, I'd say they need the down time more because they're in a high demand, high stress job and in the end, they will be in Iraq a lot longer.

Answer 4

what isn't being mentioned here.. Is the Marines will possibly deployed 4-5 cases in a 4 3 hundred and sixty 5 days enlistment... A Marine MEB is a extremely small speedy attack cellular tension... With their very own Ships, Choppers, Jet attack airplane, attack Craft...and so on extraordinarily while placed next to a protection tension Brigade... additionally they set up in all the words stricken spots... no longer in basic terms Iraq and Afghanistan...and have been in view that 1776 while a team of of fellows in TUN TAVERN started the CORPS... Geez..ask your self why Bars have been continually so considerable in my existence for years...LOL

Answer 5

there are parts of the military that are not "set up" to handle long wars and deployments...these are the special operation sunits and the Marine Corps. Ideally the Marines should be "shock troops" and set up a beach head or staging ground for the Army to take over... this is true of spec ops also..the are not meant to hold and occupy ground... the job of elite units is to gain ground and "kick in the door" so to speak.. The Marines and the Spec Ops units are meant to be an expeditionaty force..they fight short wars and win battles..the don't fight wars.

Answer 6

Because as it seems (especially in this war) Marines aren't trained to do the jobs that Soldiers are trained to do. It's not only bust down the door and shoot 'em all up over there. There are alot of support jobs that must be filled on an everyday basis just to keep things somewhat stable over there.

Answer 7

I don't know. But if the Army is going to do that they need to just make Iraq a remote now and PCS the guys there for a year, that way they'll have a DEROS, with people coming in to replace them and having known dates they are coming.

Answer 8

There are a bunch of us asking the same question....

Also, SF units have the same rotation time as the Marines, Air Force, and Navy.

Answer 9

I think its population... aren't the Marines bigger than the Army?

Answer 10

because the marines do more actual fighting. the army is just all the scrubs that couldn't make it in the marines. so they just do all the grunt work. 12-16 months of grunt work might be equivalent to 7-8 months of actual fighting, but i doubt it..