Lawmakers welcome extensions for guard, reserve troops in Iraq (Zell/Saxby

[Khephra]

Senior lawmakers on a key US Senate committee on Tuesday supported a Pentagon decision to extend the tours of duty for thousands of National Guard and Army Reserve troops currently serving in Iraq.

The US Army announced Tuesday it would extend the current 12-month mobilization of Army Reserve by between three to six months.

"It means our Reserve forces will be mobilized longer than initially planned, but we believe this is a measured and responsible decision by the army and a decision that will contribute directly to improving stability in Iraq," said US senators Zell Miller and Saxby Chambliss, co-chairs of the Senate's Reserve Caucus, in a statement.

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