[remarkEon]

Yes that's totally true, though I'll submit that the "deployment cycle" mindset was certainly solidified in the last decade as "the way we do things" - at least on my side in the Army (Obviously I don't speak for everyone, and I know I'm not the only one who had problems with the "cycle" mindset). The politics are also a reason we moved toward that strategy. I just don't think it's a wise one. It probably wasn't wise back then, and I definitely don't think it's wise for the future.

Edit: One of the stories (Myths?) you hear about McChrystal is that he'd ask Company Commanders downrange this question: "What would you do different if you couldn't come home until we'd won?" Granted, that presupposes we actually had a true picture of what it would look like when we'd "won" but it shows how easy it can be to become...disconnected when you know that you're outta there before next fighting season.