FORT DRUM — The Army chief of staff that said during his visit to the post Friday, commanding officers expressed concern that young soldiers were being promoted too soon and without all the skills needed to lead.

"Even though they have combat experience, they felt that they didn't necessarily have the seasoning and the maturity that they needed to operate, for example, to counsel and mentor their subordinates," Gen. George W. Casey Jr. said during a press conference.

He did not say what effect early promotions could have on the Army or provide any possible solutions.

The general visited the post to meet with soldiers and local leaders to discuss issues of importance to them and to assess the readiness of the 10th Mountain Division for deployment in the spring.

Gen. Casey said the Army has been working to provide better behavioral health care through education programs on post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries. He said the focus has been on early identification and treatment for soldiers, along with reducing the stigma of seeking help for behavioral health problems.

"This is a nationwide challenge," Gen. Casey said.

He also said he expects tour lengths to shorten gradually as the Army recruits more soldiers, 74,000 over the next several years, and decreases the number of forces in Iraq beginning this summer.

"We know 15 months is too long, we know 12 months at home between the deployments is too short, and so we have to reduce the one and increase the other," he said.

The installation's next deployment will come in May when about 1,000 soldiers, including Maj. Gen. Michael L. Oates, commander of the 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum, deploy with division headquarters.

During his visit, the general, who has served as the multinational forces commander in Iraq, oversaw division mission rehearsal exercises. He said he was impressed with division communication and the commanders' ability to handle the training scenarios, taken from real missions in Iraq.

"So they're very, very well prepared for the challenges they're going to face," Gen. Casey said.

He also said from meetings with post and community leaders, the area's relationship with Fort Drum is one of the strongest he has seen and it has been an asset to the 10th Mountain Division.

"We couldn't deploy the division the way it's been deployed without the support of local community," Gen. Casey said.