Troops to stay even longer in Iraq/Afghanistan

[Doogie]

While everyone is pre-occupied with Imus, the tour of duties for guys in Iraq got extended to 15 months from the usual 12. I know it has been said many times, but our priorities are really fucked up when Imus is getting publicity for a few seconds, while a few seconds for some of these guys can be the difference between life and death. God bless the republic!!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6546925.stm

[PapaBear]

They announced that our local National Guard unit won't have to go over there for now. I hope they get to stay home. They haven't fought in Iraq yet, but they were in Afghanistan near the beginning of the invasion. They lost three members, two of whom lived here.

[Yerdaddy]

Stretched army sends troops back to Iraq (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070403/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_iraq_troops)
By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press Writer
Tue Apr 3, 2:007

For just the second time since the war began, the Army is sending large units back to Iraq without giving them at least a year at home, defense officials said Monday. The move signaled how stretched the U.S. fighting force has become.

A combat brigade from New York and a Texas headquarters unit will return to Iraq this summer in order to maintain through August the military buildup President Bush announced earlier this year. Overall, the Pentagon announced, 7,000 troops will be going to Iraq in the coming months as part of the effort to keep 20 brigades in the country to help bolster the Baghdad security plan. A brigade is roughly 3,000 soldiers.

The Army will try not to shorten the troops' U.S. time, "but in this case we had to," said a senior Army official, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. "Obviously right now the Army is stretched," the official said.

The 4th Infantry Division headquarters unit from Fort Hood, Texas, will return to Iraq after a little more than seven months at home — the largest departure to date from the Army's goal of giving units at least a year's rest after every year deployed. The 1st Brigade of the 10th Mountain Division, based at Ft. Drum, N.Y., will go back to Iraq after just 10 1/2 months at home.

The only other major unit to spend less than one year at home was the Georgia-based 3rd Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division, which returned to Iraq 48 days short of a year and is there now, according to the Army.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman acknowledged that the Texas unit's 81 day shortfall in rest time, "is not insignificant."

"There's only so many division headquarters," he said. "It reflects that this is a military that is in conflict. We're obviously using a significant portion of the combat units of the force. And it's a reflection of the realities that exist right now."

It's not significant because it's reality? Did the Pentagon hire Baghdad Bob?

http://www.welovetheiraqiinformationminister.com/images/07-minister.jpg
"God will roast their stomachs in hell at the hands of <S>Iraqis</S> Americans."

"Those <s>Iraqi</s> American fighters are slapping those gangsters on the face, and then when they flee, they will kick their backsides."

"Be assured. Baghdad is safe, protected." (This one's as absurd now as it was then.)

Whitman said the latest deployment orders released Monday would also require the Hawaii-based 25th Infantry Division Headquarters unit to stay in Iraq for about 46 days longer than its planned year.

The Army's stated goal is to give active-duty soldiers two years at home between overseas combat tours. But that has been largely impossible because the Army does not have enough brigades to meet the demands of simultaneous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The latest buildup increased the demands, but until recently the Army had been able to give units at least a year break.

Military leaders say the 12 months are needed so the units can rest and then become adequately trained and equipped to go back.

Throughout the war, some smaller, more specialized units have had to deploy without 12 months rest. The Pentagon is currently developing a policy that would provide additional pay to units that don't get the year break.

We owe it to all these people to pay attention to the demands being placed on them. "Above and beyond the call of duty" is exactly what has become the call of duty now. But what's the Imus outrage thread up to now? Eight pages?

[KnoxHarrington]

Look, if this war is really vital to the "war on terror", and our national interests will be permanently damaged if it fails, man up and have a draft to have sufficient troop levels.

All the talk from Bush and his boot-licking cronies like John "Straight-Talking Maverick" McCain about how vital this war is rings hollow when they won't do what they would need to do to win it. They don't really believe it.

[cupcakelove]

Look, if this war is really vital to the "war on terror", and our national interests will be permanently damaged if it fails, man up and have a draft to have sufficient troop levels.

All the talk from Bush and his boot-licking cronies like John "Straight-Talking Maverick" McCain about how vital this war is rings hollow when they won't do what they would need to do to win it. They don't really believe it.

There will never be a draft. If you think the support for the war is low now, just imagine what it would be like if people were being sent against their will. This administration may act totally retarded, but they're smart enough to know this.

[cupcakelove]

While everyone is pre-occupied with Imus, the tour of duties for guys in Iraq got extended to 15 months from the usual 12. I know it has been said many times, but our priorities are really fucked up when Imus is getting publicity for a few seconds, while a few seconds for some of these guys can be the difference between life and death. God bless the republic!!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6546925.stm

My friend that's over the right now told me a few weeks ago he was going to have to stay an extra 3 to 6 months, but I had no idea it was that way for everyone. I wasn't surprised when he told me, because he was only supposed to stay 12 months in Afghanistan, but got an extra 6 months there too.