[OldFriend]

Bless them all.

[stm]

May God be with them. My Guard unit was attached to them for the entire war and into the reconstruction. The majority of them left Iraq in Sep 03. They are coming back to a radically different country than the one they left 17 months ago. In a lot of ways it is more dangerous now then back then. At least back then you knew who the enemy was.

[Ros42]

I'm so proud of them all! God Bless them and keep them safe!

[EGPWS]

"Our soldiers, for the most part, feel like this is the right thing to do,"

Bless them all, however I would like to have a sit down conversation with the one's that aren't a part of the most.

[mark502inf]

The 3d Infantry Division did the "Thunder Run" to take Baghdad in April 2003---used their armor in a city to take down the Hussein regime in a way that most people said could not be done; our mainstream media commentators were obsessing about urban combat as per Mogadishu & Grozny, but our soldiers were obssessing about killing the enemy and accomplishing the mission--which they did.

Of note, the original guidance for this deployment of 3d Infantry Division was to take one-third of their armored vehicles and then mount their soldiers in HMMWVs in Iraq. MG Webster, the commander, fought hard and finally got permission to take all their armor. It'll be interesting to see if the extensive use of armor in occupation duties is as unexpectedly successful as was the 3d Infantry Division's armored attack into Baghdad was during the initial invasion.

[petertare]

Does the approval of the use of all division armor to Iraq suggest the Rumsfeld theory of armor is under the assault of the truth?

His light armor "shuffle and duck" strategy seems shortsighted. When will, or has it been, challenged by someone of authority in or out of govt?

Might have to put aside some of those AF shiny toys and anteup some funds for the guys in the malestrom. GIs do matter, Mr. Rummy.