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Original Source: THE BIG STORY WITH JOHN GIBSON
GIBSON: It is the big decision, a major announcement from the Pentagon today about our troops overseas. Effective immediately all active duty army soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan will serve 15 month tours instead of the usual 12. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the extension is a quote difficult but necessary interim step. The change in deployment lengths is the latest move by the Pentagon to deal with the strains of fighting two wars at the same time, and to maintain higher troop levels in Iraq as part of the new surge. Gates added that the new policy will also insure all active-duty army units will also get at least 12 months at home between their deployments.
Meantime Republican presidential hopeful John McCain is lashing out at Democrats for approving a timetable for pulling troops out of Iraq. The Arizona senator says the war is necessary and just and he and others who support the president's troop surge have taken the hard but correct road.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have watched with regret as the House of Representatives voted to deny our troops the support necessary to carry out their new mission. Democratic leaders smiled and cheered as the last votes were counted. What were they celebrating? Defeat? Surrender? In Iraq, only our enemies were cheering.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
GIBSON: What were they celebrating, defeat? Iraq is no doubt also a big issue for another GOP contender, Duncan Hunter. That's because his son is about to be shipped off to Iraq for the third time. Hunter's son Duncan Duane Hunter is a U.S. Marine and he is running to be elected to his dad's congressional seat. So, how does he plan to campaign for Congress while fighting in Iraq? Duncan Duane Hunter, is with me now. It's Captain Hunter, isn't it?