in the region, specifi cally those that aff ect the U.S. We’ve got to see how the summer unfolds. We have a plan based on assumptions. If those as- sumptions don’t obtain, then we’ll go to the president with a [diff er- ent] recommendation. What the president has given us is an end state. We’ll make a recommendation based on our best military advice on how to attain that end state.
The end state being that Afghans can sustain operations against the Taliban? And that our interests in the region are addressed.
Do you worry about the pace of worldwide operations today, about a mismatch between demands on U.S. forces and available resources? Our men and women are running pretty hard and have been for a long time. Even as a service chief, I constantly looked for signs of wear and tear. I’ve been pleasantly surprised; talk about resilience and continued commitment. Some people say I have a hard job
here in [Washington] D.C. dealing with diffi cult issues, congressional testimony, and so forth. It’s actually pretty easy because what I’ve been doing is visiting soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines and getting pumped up. Then all I have to do is come back here and tell their story. But I do have concern with the
strain, particularly on some occupa- tional fi elds. I met airmen in Djibouti who do personnel recovery. They have been on a cycle of multiple four-month deployments with four months home in between. We call it a one-to-one deployment-to-dwell ratio. They’re gone as much as they’re home. Now when I talked to them,
PHOTO: DOD
I’m concerned about ... the ability to have balance between
mission and home life.
looked in their eyes — and I think I can sniff out BS — they’re fi ne with that. But I know from personal expe- rience, both from a training and fam- ily perspective, you can only maintain that rate so long. I am concerned some occupational fi elds, in particu- lar, are stretched. Certain aviation communities, engineers, and other fi elds are running a little harder. I also don’t underestimate the challenge on families. I’ve talked to young soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines and found them very com- mitted and happy with how busy they are. I’ve also talked to mid-grade and senior enlisted leaders [and] mid- grade and fi eld-grade offi cers who are on fi fth, sixth, or seventh deploy-
ments. I’ve talked to families and spouses who highlight the challenges the last decade has brought. I’m con- cerned about mental health of the force and families, about the ability to have balance between mission and home life. As a Marine who’s been married for over 30 years, I’m aware you have to be attentive to family as well as mission. So making sure we get to a sustainable deployment-to- dwell ratio is a goal of all the service chiefs. The force is in good shape now, but we ought not to assume we can maintain current operational tempo without paying a cost. The other worry is training for
a full range of military operations. When we’re one-to-one deployment-
U.S. servicemembers at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy, meet with Dunford, right, during his visit in early December 2015.
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