How should exhausted, stressed-out warriors be compensated for deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan early or too often?

With extra time off when they get home.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff successfully fought for that solution, called "administrative absences," after rejecting a plan to pay active and reserve members an extra $1,000 a month when deployed or mobilized early or so frequently that total time deployed exceeds newly announced rotation goals.

The issue, which sparked months of internal debate, was how to fulfill a promise to troops made Jan. 11 by Defense Secretary Robert Gates when he announced the force surge into Iraq. Gates said then that his department was devising a "new program to compensate individuals, in both the active and reserve components, who are required to mobilize or deploy early or extend beyond established rotation policy goals."

Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said in February, during congressional testimony, that the additional compensation plan for units sent early into Iraq likely would be $1,000 a month.

What emerged, however, was this initiative to provide extra time off.

Earned "absences," proponents contend, will give members more time to relax with families, time that won't count against their 30 days of annual leave. The rationale is that this can be implemented quickly and that it's logical "recognition" — more so than cash — for being deployed too frequently, officials explained.

"We used you a lot. We used you more than it was expected. Why don't you take some time off once you get back," said Michael Dominguez, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, in unveiling the plan at the Pentagon last week.

It isn't clear yet how troops are reacting, but the plan landed with a thud in the Pentagon press room in mid-April. Skeptical reporters bombarded Dominguez with questions about how one, two or four-day passes could be seen as an adequate substitute for cash. They also questioned whether commanders will allow more down time for troops in units that need to prepare quickly for redeployment.

An extra $1,000-a-month would have matched payments already being made to members who since last year have seen their war-zone tours extended to meet operational demands. When Gates announced April 11 that all soldiers in U.S. Central Command's area of operations, including Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa, will have to serve 15-month rather than 12-month tours in theater, he also said they would get an extra $1,000 for any month, or partial month, served in theater beyond a year.

Senior defense civilians reportedly favored giving members the extra cash too for early deployments and mobilizations. Dominguez had some awkward moments defending the final plan at its unveiling.