21,000 troops notified for Iraq deployment

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon has notified about 21,000 Army soldiers and Marines that they are scheduled to be sent to Iraq late this year.

Four combat brigades from Texas, Alaska and Colorado are the latest scheduled to replace troops returning home from the war, a senior defense official said.

The official, who requested anonymity because the announcement has not yet been made, said the planned deployment could change depending on the conditions in Iraq. The Bush administration is under increasing pressure to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq.

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/breaking_news/14862814.htm

If they really plan to 'reduce' the force by 30,000 as the rumor/story goes, why are they preparing these troops to 'replace' the returning soldiers?


my latest 2 cents: Cranking Up the Occupation (6-20-2006)

Why anyone goes over there at this point in time is beyond me. You are not to obey orders when it involves breaking the law and the geneva convention. I don't care what they have to do...FIGHT the REAL EVILDOERS!

Former British Home Secretary Robin Cook stated in his own words..."Al Qaeda is not a terrorist organization it is a group of CIA swindlers tied to massive arms and drug smuggling with their origin in the Mushahadeen and Bosnia."

:sarcasm:

I hope more soldiers wake up and say "No fucking way!" Unfortuantely, most have to go and see how screwed up things are for themselves. Then they come back all messed up.

they come home in November....

but, that's not a reduction in force

Combined with last November's announcement of 92,000 American service members scheduled to go to Iraq in the 2006-2008 rotation, this would bring the total U.S. troop level to about 113,000 for that period. That is less than the approximately 138,000 average troop level for the past year, but more than military officials' goal of less than 100,000 by the end of the year.

There are about 127,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.

Not all of the units in the first 92,000 have gone to Iraq yet. A Germany-based Army brigade's travel to Iraq was put on hold just last month _ triggering talk that a U.S. troop cut might be in the offing. They are now scheduled to go this summer. And a Fort Lewis, Wash., brigade began shipping equipment to Iraq this month and the soldiers are expect to follow soon.

The moves suggest that U.S. commanders are sticking largely to their original troop rotation plan for this year, leaving unclear when and if a sizable reduction in U.S. troop levels will begin.

The units are: 3rd Corps Headquarters, 1st Cavalry Division Headquarters, the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division, and the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division, all from Fort Hood in Texas; the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force from Camp Lejeune, N.C.; the 4th Brigade, 25th Infantry Division from Fort Richardson in Alaska; and the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Carson in Colorado.

http://www.kristv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5057080

his unit "replaced". I want it withdrawn, i want every U.S. soldier out of Iraq.
If your son comes out on leave before November, maybe you should encourage him to leave the military.
I hear Canada is really beautiful this time of year.