[Happy2BMe]

Gonna be some wet eyes on this one.

[joesnuffy]

I hope Rummy is at least giving these guys some financial bonuses...they sure deserve it.

imo

[Happy2BMe]

Good decision - ping.

(This will save lives actually. Troops on the ground now know far better the hidden perils lurking in the shadows than a 'greenhorn' just getting off the plane.)

____________________________________

"They are the most experienced and best-qualified forces to sustain the momentum of post-Fallujah operations and to provide for additional security for the upcoming elections," a Pentagon statement said."

[SevenMinusOne]

Gonna be some wet eyes on this one.

Agree with you here - And God Bless everyone of these brave soldiers. Tough job, but they have to cowboy up and keep at it.

[jdm]

initial invading force in March 2003.

"Invading force" ??? -- interesting choice of words by the never fair and balanced AP.

[StarCMC]

Ping

[PISANO]

And in WWII the troops were extended for the DURATION!!!

[Blood of Tyrants]

It sucks, but being screwed when you are in the military is SOP. My friend ended up spending 15 months in Iraq before he came home in mid August.

[Semper]

This has the potential to be a very serious degradation of our military. You can't keep screwing with the troops by extensions and unexpected family separation without a massive exodus from the ranks. I was quite unhappy with Clinton for over committing our military and Bush is now surpassing Clinton in that area.

We are getting into an extremely dangerous situation here. If this Iraq adventure is not concluded very soon, we are going to pay a tremendous price or rather, our children will have to pay that price.

Could it be that Iraq = Tar baby?

[TheCrusader]

Some guys got their tour of duty extended by 2 - 4 months and we have to read a whiney diatribe and litany of politicized media bs. What ever happened to simple reporting and letting the listeners decide the rest?

[xzins]

I've got an email from a wife of a former assistant who was telling us over a month ago that the Ft Hood guys were being told by the media that they would be extended. She said, "Not so. We've never been told they were there on a 10 month assignment. We never expected them back that early."

In other words, the media appears to have taken a rumor and turned it into a return date. But the Army Family Support Groups are active and they knew better.

[Austin Willard Wright]

Nah....it's not a quagmire. No way!

[katieanna]

I'm glad my dear cousin is still set to come home March 1st. My heart and prayers to those who have to stay longer.

[cynicom]

We have plenty of troops. Bush and Rummy said so. Who you going to believe, 10,000 troops that want to come home or Bush and Rummy? Thought so, what do the troops know about army troop strength?

[cynicom]

No need for this extension. Bush and Rummy both say we have plenty of troops, must be a mistake somewhere.