Half of troops on return trip to Iraq

[PfcHammer]

http://interestalert.com/brand/siteia.shtml?Story=st/sn/07070000aaa050de.upi&Sys=siteia&Fid=WORLDNEW&Type=News&Filter=World%20News

Half of troops on return trip to Iraq

WASHINGTON, July 7 (UPI) -- Approximately 55 percent of troops tapped to go to Iraq during the next rotation will have already served one tour, a military official said Wednesday.

That translates to another year in Iraq for about 75,000 soldiers and Marines, according to Defense Department numbers.

The Pentagon has promised that everyone who serves a year in Iraq will get a least a year at home before again being deployed.

There are currently about 141,000 U.S. military personnel in Iraq who are scheduled to be replaced by about 135,000 Marines and soldiers beginning this monthin a troop rotation known as "Operation Iraqi Freedom 3." Nearly half of the troops -- 42 percent -- are from the reserves.

[mom cat]

1. and I thought that indentured servitude had been abolished..

[Mari333]

2. When Michael comes back in Jan

We are going to help him transfer to the Navy Reserves or the Coast Guard..thats one way we can help him keep from going back..
He wants to.
Keep fingers crossed.

[No Passaran]

3. Unfortunately I'm one of them

I can't believe that when I'm old looking back on my life, I'd see how I wasted 2+ years of my life in Iraq.

[OKNancy]

4. When do you have to go and...

any way you can post to DU!!? ( not joking, really)

[No Passaran]

6. Soon

Anywhere between Sept and January. What pisses me off is that I already served one overseas hardship tour in Iraq (including being part of Operation Iraqi Freedom from the beginning) and now when it's time for me to get out of the military they come up with these Stop-Loss orders.

I've considered maintaining a weblog somewhere and sharing my stories and experiences. I should have done it the first time around but I really don't wanna remember my first tour. If you've seen the movie by Michael Moore and all those dead children and civilians, seeing it in real life affected me and scarred me for life. I really couldn't bring myself to even email my family. Everything was so depressing.

[RamboLiberal]

7. BROCockY - Thank you for your service and

I hope we can get these corrupt bastards out so this never happens again to our troops.

I hope you do start a weblog and speak out as much as possible w/o putting yourself in the kimchi.

I'll be interested in following your posts and opinions here at DU.

[No Passaran]

8. Thanks

My first priority is to bring my soldiers back alive. Recently we were training and one of the things we did was Convoy Live Fire where you simulate being ambushed and firing all over the place. These new soldiers I have are scared. I'm talking about not even knowing how to put a loaded magazine in a weapon under the pressure.

[steely]

13. Thanks from me too BROCocky.

Hang in - and enjoy yourself for now - and good luck with the training. Take care of the troops as best you can, and take care of yourself too. Maybe there will be some hope and change in the wind come this November. And ping us here at DU when you get the chance. from a former CSS puke.

[OKNancy]

9. You must know this:

You could never find a more supportive group than most of the people on DU. There is a group here who send packages and letters and of course we all would hang on every word if you could, in some way, communicate with us.
Start a post about some of your experiences ..or perhaps you have and I've missed it.

[No Passaran]

10. My stories are too graphic

will send to PM

[knitter4democracy]

11. Oh, my . . .

I'm so very sorry this is happening to you. I have a friend who had the same thing happen to her grandson.

Hey, could you use some socks? It's not much for all your sacrifice, but it's what I can do. Let me know how thick you like them (thin like a dress sock or thick like a boot, work sock) and what your size is. You need black, right? I know this sounds presumptuous, but American women have knitted socks for the troops for longer than our country has been around. I can't send them to anyone specifically in the war zone, I have heard, but I could get them to you before you leave.

[burrowowl]

12. Welcome to DU, knitter4democracy!

:hi:

At this point our democracy is so unraveled it will need many, many expert knitters!

[knitter4democracy]

15. Thank you

There's even a group of us, such as it is, "Knitters Against Bush: Don't Unravel Our Rights." Check out the article in the latest Knitty.com. I just wish I could knit more and faster and get our troops what they need, since our government isn't keeping them outfitted the way they need to be.

[Hekate]

14. Hang in there and come back safely

Please let your fellow soldiers know that most of us who are against this war are trying as best we can to support the troops, vowing to not repeat the mistakes of the Vietnam war. We love our country, we want our country to be able to defend itself -- but we think the Iraq invasion was and is a pointless waste of lives and funds.

Take care,

Hekate

http://www.veteransforpeace.org/

[Tellurian]

5. Our local news carried a story of 4 brothers going back...

to Iraq for a second tour.

Their mother is about half crazy with worry, as well she should be.
The brothers are aware of the death and danger lurking in Iraq but have made a pact between them. They are all in the same company and plan to be there for each other and guard each other's backs. One of the brothers was not scheduled to go, but when his siblings were called up, he couldn't bear to see them go with out him. He signed up again. <sigh>

This is the stuff movies are made of...Truth IS stranger than fiction.