"The extension of the tour of duty of the 10th Mountain Division's Third Brigade in Afghanistan is obviously going to be disappointing for the families of the Third Brigade soldiers. I spoke to Defense Secretary Gates today about this announcement and he assured me that the Department of Defense will be utilizing all the resources at its disposal to support the families who will have to endure this additional time without their loved ones. However, during my recent trip to Afghanistan, this is something that commanders on the ground reported that they needed. This announcement is another indicator that our Army is stretched too thin and another reason why I have supported increasing the size of the Army."

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