STILL MORE R&R DISCUSSIONS

Sanchez also spoke of a proposal to give soldiers a "mid-tour break" to see their families.

"The intent would be that between your fifth and 10th month of deployment you'd get 14 days of leave and be able to go home," Sanchez said, adding that he hoped the plan would be approved "within a couple of weeks."

In Baghdad, some soldiers said life was slowly getting better. Sgt. 1st Class Charles Ragsdale, 34, of Atlanta, was guarding the Baghdad International Airport, which he said was becoming more livable.

"The Army is doing a lot of things every day, every week, to improve the morale of the soldiers out here," he said. "They're trying to get air conditioning. ... The chow's getting better. There's TV and movies. They're doing the best they can."