The Army's vice chief of staff said by 2011, soldiers should find themselves spending twice as much time at home station as they do deployed.

"2011 is definitely a transition year for the U.S. Army - that is a year we see ourselves getting back into balance," said Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli. "We define balance as 12 months deployed, 24 months or greater at home. That's the interim goal for us in 2011."

The general told the House Armed Forces Committee readiness subcommittee March 16 that it will likely be the larger part of the Army that will reach that goal next year, but soldiers with some military occupational specialties, such as soldiers in aviation, might reach it later.

Chiarelli was on Capitol Hill to discuss the Army's $107.3-billion Fiscal Year 2011 base and overseas contingency operations budget request for operations and maintenance.