Pentagon sending more Marines to Iraq than originally planned; more reserv

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

more reservists mobilize


http://www.boston.com/dailynews/330/wash/Pentagon_sending_more_Marines_:.shtml

WASHINGTON (AP) Several thousand additional Marines will go to Iraq next year, the Pentagon said Wednesday in an update that indicated the total U.S. force won't be reduced as much as planned.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld also approved the mobilization of 9,900 Army, 1,290 Navy and 3,208 Air Force reserve personnel for the rotation, which will begin in January to replace the 130,000 troops who will be completing one-year tours of duty in Iraq.

Rumsfeld also put on alert 4,228 Army, 1,290 Navy and 2,381 Air Force reservists, to let them know they may be mobilized for duty in Iraq. The specific units alerted and mobilized Wednesday were not disclosed; the Pentagon says they can expect to be on active duty for up to 18 months.

The Pentagon had announced on Nov. 6 most of the details of its rotation plan, which called for relying more heavily on the National Guard and Reserve, while reducing the total number of American troops to about 105,000 by the time the rotation was completed in May.

Although no numbers were provided by the Pentagon, it appears the total number by May will be closer to 110,000, counting the additional Marines.

For reasons not explained in the announcement Wednesday, the Pentagon said it had decided to send an additional three battalions of Marines. Those would be beyond the 20,000 who were designated on Nov. 6. The initial group of 20,000 is headed by the 1st Marine Division, from Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Wednesday's announcement did not say how many Marines would be in the three battalions. Officials said the total, including support and service support troops associated with the combat battalion, had not yet been determined. They estimated it would be in the range of several thousand.
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Damn it.

[Mari333]

1. Yes, my stepson is being called to go

they havent even let the families know yet. But the unit has the scuttlebutt on whats going on. My poor husband. He just sits and cries all day long. Im afraid this is slowly killing him and we cant do anything. They will send his whole unit in January.
God Damn the Bush administration and God Damn Bush for doing this to us.

[leftchick]

2. My nephew is is the Marines.....

Just graduated boot camp and is now in Florida. He thinks he is going through engineering school for the next four years. I highly doubt it,I forsee him being shipped out to further the BFEE imperialism agenda. The sad thing is I am the only one in my family that sees this invasion/occupation for what it is. The rest including his mother(my sister) believe we are there to protect our freedoms, blah blah blah....it is all so fucking sad. My sympathies to your family too.

:(

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

5. I'm so sorry.

Send him to Canada. That's where my mother wanted to send me during Nam. It's getting to that point again.

[54anickel]

3. Hey Billy P. There's something up, isn't there?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

4. Not Billy P., but yes...something is clearly in the wind...

...Syria or Iran. My bet's on Syria to pacify Israel and close the back door before taking on Iran.

Then again, it could be Iran first to keep Israel from nuking Iran's nuclear facilities, and than back to get Syria.

I think Saudi's on the NeoCon s-list, too...but later. Sometime after the draft gets going in 2005.

80,000 regular army and 40,000 guard will be on the way soon...to allegedly "replace" frontline troops already there.

Lovely. Just frickin' lovely.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

6. I don't know yet. I hope not, but instinct tells me differently.

I pray to god that this is just "sabre rattling" and that nothing comes of it.