Tour extension wreaks havoc upon Stryker soldiers’ lives

BAGHDAD — The extension to the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team’s Iraq deployment has sown chaos in the personal lives of many soldiers in the brigade’s cavalry squadron and imposed tremendous logistical burdens on the unit, problems that could have been avoided, soldiers say, if only the Defense Department had given them a little more warning.

The 172nd deployed to Iraq in August 2005 and the bulk of the unit was due to return to Fort Wainwright, Alaska, early this month. But the Pentagon announced July 27 that it was extending the 172nd’s deployment for up to 120 days and moving the unit to Baghdad to counter the worsening violence in the Iraqi capital.

Soldiers in 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment received word of the extension July 27 as they were preparing to depart Combat Outpost Rawah, in central Anbar province, where they had spent most of the previous 12 months. The news hit many hard.

After a year of harrowing combat missions in which eight colleagues were killed in action, and every trip outside the wire carried the risk of death or dismemberment, 4-14’s soldiers were finally letting down their mental guard.

More than 80 of the squadron’s soldiers had already returned to Alaska. Lt. Col. Mark Freitag, 4-14’s commander, has asked that all those soldiers be returned to Iraq, which requires approval from U.S. Pacific Command.

Many of those still in Iraq were within a day or two of leaving. Stryker crews had celebrated their last missions “outside the wire.” There was an end-of-semester atmosphere at COP Rawah, with soldiers playing practical jokes on each other as they prepared to head home.

Then came the news that rather than flying home into the arms of their loved ones, they would be heading into the heart of the violence in Baghdad, where more than 1,600 people died in July as sectarian violence between Sunni and Shi’ites spun out of control.

“We all volunteered, and sometimes these unexpected things happen to us,” said 1st Sgt. Roy Stoehr of 4-14’s A Troop.

“The American people pay us to fight and win the nation’s wars,” said Capt. (P) Tom Hart, 4-14’s fire support officer. “We deployed for a year, and at the end of that year they’ve asked to stay and fight some more. This is why soldiers serve in the military.”

Not everyone reacted with Hart’s equanimity. Capt. James Foster, 4-14’s chaplain, said he believes the soldiers will be physically and emotionally ready for their missions in Baghdad, but he acknowledged that some are still coming to grips with the reality that they’ll be in combat for up to another four months.

“It’s kind of like a grieving process,” he said. “A lot of shock and denial, then you kind of get angry. The wives got angry back home. The soldiers got angry. Everybody’s going through these phases. Some go through them faster than others.”

The extension might well doom the marriages of several soldiers in the squadron, according to Foster and other NCOs.

“Some [marriages] have already been strained to the max, so when you throw another straw on the camel’s back, it’s hard for the family members to accept,” Foster said. “Some [soldiers] were holding on to come home and maybe work things out, and may not take that opportunity now.”

Stoehr agreed. “I had a few guys [with troubled marriages] that sucked it up all the way to the end,” he said, but the last-minute extension appears to have been the breaking point for their wives.

The extension “is creating more problems with the families,” he said. “Sometimes the wives just don’t understand, and it’s hard.”

Almost every 4-14 soldier had made plans for the next several months that the extension has disrupted. In some cases, the extra months spent in Iraq will cost soldiers opportunities they will never be able to get back.

Sgt. Ryan Forney, who works in the 4-14 tactical operations center, was excited at the prospect of attending the birth of his first child. “My wife’s due Oct. 29,” he said. “I was hoping to be able to go back and help her with the last couple of months of her pregnancy, seeing as I’d missed the first six months.”

When his wife heard about the extension, “she was pretty angry and upset,” said Forney, who like all the squadron’s soldiers was able to take two weeks rest and recuperation leave at home during the deployment.

“She’s trying to be supportive of me,” he said, but was finding it hard because the 4-14 has not been told either what its mission will be in Baghdad, or given a firm return date inside the 120-day extension window.

“I know a lot of guys whose wives have either had babies while they’ve been deployed or just before, and they feel like when they get back after 16 months, their kids aren’t even going to recognize them,” he said.

There are also numerous financial costs involved. Many soldiers and their families had bought plane tickets in anticipation of the block leave the brigade had scheduled for September. Helping to ensure that that money wasn’t wasted is one of the tasks of an action cell Fort Wainwright has established to help 172nd families with problems related to the extension.

Because the 172nd is the first brigade to go through the Army’s three-year unit manning cycle, most of the unit’s soldiers were due to change duty stations or leave the Army upon their return. Now many are unsure of whether jobs they had lined up in either the Army or the civilian world will be waiting for them when they get home. In some cases, these soldiers had already put down-payments or security deposits on new homes in areas where they had planned to move.

Even soldiers whose next jobs the Army has promised to hold open until they return can get caught in this trap. Hart is due to assume a new position in Human Resources Command in Alexandria, Va., and had put a $2,000 security deposit on an apartment near the command, with a view to moving in at the beginning of September.

Although Human Resources Command says the job will still be waiting for him when he redeploys, it makes no financial sense for him to pay rent for the next four months for an apartment he’s not living in. But his would-be landlord has refused to refund his security deposit. Army legal officials in Alaska are working on his behalf to try to get the money back.

In other cases, Forney said, soldiers’ families have already moved into new homes and now are stranded thousands of miles from Fort Wainwright with no support network in place.

There are smaller complications that will end up costing soldiers money. “We could list a million ways that people are getting screwed,” Forney said.

By the time the Pentagon ordered them to extend in Iraq, 4-14 soldiers had mailed most of their personal gear home, and given away comfort items like televisions and pillows to soldiers newly arrived in Iraq, retaining only the uniform items and toiletries they would need for their last week in Iraq. Now they have to buy replacement items out of pocket.

Forney spent $250 on books for online courses he had registered to take via Troy State University in Alabama. “I’m going to eat that,” he said.

Another frustration, he said, was the knowledge that the soldiers likely would not be returning to Wainwright until Alaska’s bitter winter has set in.

“Getting back in the middle of winter is going to be a pain for everybody. There are unique challenges to an Alaskan unit going back in the middle of winter as opposed to the summertime,” Forney said, explaining that moving house and retrieving belongings from storage would be hard when the temperature is 20 degrees below zero. Forney said.

Of course, financial benefits are available to soldiers who are extended beyond their 12-month deployment. All money earned in theater, including re-enlistment bonuses, is tax-free, and soldiers extended beyond a year can expect to receive about $1,000 a month in extra incentive pays.

But the Pentagon’s late decision to extend the 172nd’s deployment has done more than extract an emotional and financial toll on individual soldiers. It has also made the job of getting ready for whatever missions the brigade will be ordered to conduct in Baghdad much harder, said 4-14 officers.

Two days before receiving the extension order, Task Force 4-14 signed over 12 of its 62 Strykers to “other coalition forces” — a catchphrase for special operations forces — and sent four others to the 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry. The 172nd is working through the theater supply system to get the first 12 replaced, but will have to continue without the four given to 1-14, Freitag said.

Three days prior to the order to extend, the squadron had turned its theater permanent equipment — that gear that a unit receives upon arriving in theater — over to 1-14, the Stryker unit originally tapped to relieve 4-14 in Rawah. That included trucks that carry the squadron’s heavy loads, engineering equipment used to construct defenses, and individual soldier items like all the M14 rifles for the unit’s squad designated marksmen.

“The line elements were left short of war-fighting equipment,” said Capt. Sean Skrmetta, executive officer for 4-14’s Headquarters and Headquarters Troop.

The squadron expects to get re-issued most of the essential items from the list before it goes into combat, Skrmetta said, “but it would have made the process less painful for us” to have had it from the start, because in the meantime 4-14 has had to borrow gear from other units.

“When you move, you definitely need all that equipment,” he said. “When you’re in steady state, you don’t need it as much. So we’ll be getting the equipment when we don’t need it as much.”

The process of getting new equipment has been complicated by the fact that the squadron had already closed out the codes it used to order gear through the logistics system, Skrmetta said. New codes are being issued to the unit, but the process can take up to 15 days, costing the squadron precious time.

“Where the squadron really got hurt was the supply side of the house,” Skrmetta said. “All that stuff we’d given out and we can’t get it back.” He cited a long list of items that 4-14 had handed over to 1-14, including protective eyeglasses, Nomex gloves, chemical lights and stationery.

Even the gear the squadron retained had been stripped and prepared for transport back to Alaska. Troops had removed the sights from all 4-14’s M240B and .50 cal machine guns. Now the soldiers have to remount the sights and re-zero the weapons.

“That’s a painful process that generally takes a long time,” Skrmetta said.

The soldiers “didn’t like the fact of getting almost one foot onto the plane and being told, ‘You have to go back,’ ” Stoehr said. “Had we known at least a month out, it would have been much better.”

“Even if we could have known a week earlier, it would have made a huge difference to us,” said Capt. James Vogelpoehl, a 4-14 battle captain.

Some officers also expressed confusion about why, if it was so important to keep the brigade in country and send it to Baghdad, no one in the chain of command could tell them what the mission there would be.

But few officers or NCOs doubt that when the time comes for 4-14 to roll outside the wire and back into combat again, their troops will be ready.

In the first few days after the extension announcement, “the guys were pretty down,” Stoehr said. “They were stunned. But by the second day, they were picking up and ready to get on with their new mission.”

From Drew68:
Civilians can't comprehend how stressful deployments are on families. Yeah, sure, we signed up for it. That doesn't make it any easier though.
I see marriages crumble all the time in the navy. Infidelity among military spouses (and the deployed soldiers themselves) is rampant and the destruction it brings is devastating. It is hard to blame the cheating spouse. They thought they could be strong only to find that they couldn't. The loneliness was just too much to take.

My heart breaks for these soldiers and their families and I only hope that they have the strength to see this through. It is not easy.

From leadpenny:
Since Vietnam I've been comparing and contrasting my two tours (67 and 69/70). I didn't get married until after my second tour but a lot of my friends were. The typical scenario was they gutted it out for the first tour and had a wonderful R&R in Hawaii. When it came time for the second tour, the fire was gone and the wife waited about two and a half minutes before getting involved with someone else. My room mate on my second tour got a 'dear john' a couple of months in. Not being married I didn't understand his breakdown.

It appears this is what happened to Andrew Velez (Army: Second son's death was suicide). Comments by the father on local TV and radio last night indicate she was cheating on him:

Mr. Velez says the combination of day-to-day forces of war, the loss of Freddy and marital problems likely influenced Andrew’s decision to take his life. He called this a “monster.”

“You’re overseas fighting a war for a country, a flag, and a family and then you get news that there is another man in your home trying to run your household,” Roy said. “What are you suppose to respond? We know that it was a self-inflicted wound, from a .249 rifle, we know that there was a last phone call made. Veronica told me that Andrew was upset. I asked her ‘at what?’ and she said it was just personal stuff…and it was none of my business. Is it because he didn’t get enough psychological evaluation? Or was it because of the marital problems? His wife had asked him for a divorce. Who holds the smoking gun?”
Lubbock Soldier Laid to Rest

I first enlisted in 61 at 18 and the guys I still remember, mostly, were the draftees. They were older, usually had some real work experience and generally had more sense than the rest of us. Twelve years later, after doing lots of growing up myself, I got to command a Basic Training Company at Ft. Knox in the same barracks area where I had taken mine. My first of six cycles had some of the last draftees. Call it beginners luck but I never again equaled the numbers of that cycle (fewest AWOLS, Range, PT, End of Cycle Test). Vietnam gave the Draft a bad name, and getting rid of it was a knee-jerk reaction and a cowardly act by Congress and the Administration. imo

IF I might comment - I joined (on my own) the armed forces before Vietnam was over. I retired after 22 years of service, just before GWII. My brother served as an officer in the uniformed services for 12 years, after the draft was repealed.

We are both *absolutely against* the draft - unless the Nation is at stake, which it is most definitely not. Let the Services do what they must to get members, but not the draft.

Please note changes in demographics - in the 40s America had larger families - 6 or more children. I come from a family of 7, my wife, a family of 10. Now a days, two or three children are the norm. No way today a draft would be tolerated.

Vietnam gave the Draft a bad name, and getting rid of it was a knee-jerk reaction and a cowardly act by Congress and the Administration. imo

I'm a Viet Nam vet and a draftee. If there was ever a problem between RA's and US it was mostly caused by THEIR attitude toward us, not our attitude toward the Army.

I spent 21 months in the Army and 15 of those 21 months in Viet Nam... I got an early out because I came home with less than 6 months to go in service. Though the military life was not for me, I don't regret one day of it.

Much of the frustration within the unit is due to the fact that even though the situation in Baghdad had been deteriorating over a period of several months, senior leaders waited until the last possible moment to change their orders.
The soldiers “didn’t like the fact of getting almost one foot onto the plane and being told, ‘You have to go back,’ ” Stoehr said. “Had we known at least a month out, it would have been much better.”
“Even if we could have known a week earlier, it would have made a huge difference to us,” said Capt. James Vogelpoehl, a 4-14 battle captain.

It is sad to read that.

unless the Nation is at stake, which it is most definitely not.

I disagree with your basic assertion. You know it's not hyperbole when I say there are still millions of radical Islamists and others who want as many of us dead as possible. They are either waiting for us to self destruct or the right time to make 9-11 look like child's play. They see us stretched very thin and getting thinner. Think for a moment how this new strategy involving the 172nd Stryker is playing in the part of the world that hates everything about us. They see us in kind of a holding action with our fingers crossed.

They also see us as very divided, and we are - culturally and politically. Much of that division, I believe, could have been prevented in 01 by including the entire country in the fight. The country was never asked to sacrifice and by calling for and getting a Universal Service Bill there would have been the effect of uniting the country. It may not have been needed then or for a few years, or maybe never, but it would be there. It's too late now but maybe when we're attacked again it won't be.

There is really no difference between the generation that fought WWII and the generation now. I argue that the country is in just as much peril now as it was then. It just takes leadership to show the way. I detest FDR on many levels but I have to give him credit for putting the American population behind the war effort. And that effort included 10+ million draftees.

These men and women will do their duty but that doesn't take away from the fact that this should not have happened to them on such short notice. At the Senate Armed Services hearing the other day I believe it was Gen Pace who said the decision was made after days of consultation among all the high level players involved. The chain of command knew the disruptions it would cause. It just points out how stretched the military is.

This is war and our spouses are Soldiers. I knew before they deployed that this could happen, it's just a shame that we've come to rely on a 12 month tour and that our families were not adequately prepared last year for the possibility of extension, no matter how remote the possiblity. The military does a great job making sure we know the KIA and WIA process, and thank God the vast majority of us will never have to endure this process personally, but we are prepared for it just in case. Our families should have also been prepared for the possiblity of an extension, even though it was a far off notion last year, it's always a possiblity. Wives looked at me like I was insane when I mentioned that I was emotionally prepared for a 14-18 month deployment.

But like I said, this is war. We need to be grateful that our Soldiers aren't deployed indefinitely like they had been in WWII.

Even though the troops were initially pissed off, they are now more determined than ever to get to Baghdad and take care of business. They are the best of the best. It only makes sense to send in seasoned troops that have a great success record with few casualties incurred. Our Stryker Soldiers will mop up the terrorists in Baghdad, just like they have done in Mosul. We've got solid leadership and seasoned Soldiers. Moral is great. Of course they are all dissapointed in not coming home, as we are not having them come home. Guess what? They aren't bank tellers or florists!

As far as the military being stretched thin, not so, as there are plenty of troops that have not been sent over to Iraq or Afghanistan. Yes, there are many that have seen multiple deployments, but that is the bad luck of the draw when going to a new assignment. Retention rates have never been higher as the Soldiers feel tremendous pride and a sense of accomplishment from doing the job that they've spent years training for. New recruits are still coming in and recruiters have been meeting their goals. Naysayers have pointed out that the Army has lowered it's recruitment standards, but they don't mention that these standards are very high. There is so much negativity and misinformation surrounding our military. The troops feel this from way over there, yet they are true professionals and are highly trained and well equipped.

Why the last minute chain jerk for the 172nd? What was it, two or three months ago the prime minister put umpteen thousand Iraqi police and military on the streets of Baghdad. It hasn't worked out the way they expected for at least two months. I don't understand the last minute thing.

While seeing my son off last week I was able to talk to a number of company grade officers. Two things struck me. Experienced E5 and 6s are bailing, especially after 2nd tours. And, Captains are leaving in droves. So much so the Major promotion rate is running 96-97%. Not scientific, I know, but I did sense some problems in the retention of some good folks.

I believe, could have been prevented in 01 by including the entire country in the fight. The country was never asked to sacrifice and by calling for and getting a Universal Service Bill...

There is really no difference between the generation that fought WWII and the generation now.

You haven't met my liberal brother-in-law that lives in Manhatten and was there during 9-11. He has since protested against the war, and has not talked to his older brother much at all since he deployed to Iraq.

This anti-military know-it-all who worships every word of the NY Times, is nothing but a pussy. He couldn't fight his way out of a wet paper bag, he's scared of his own shadow, and yet he understands all Islam is peaceful, they've been wronged, and continue to be, that is why they are unhappy with the arrogance of Americans. To make it worse, he thinks France is the most cultured society with the answers to all of the US problems... if we were sophisticated enough to listen to them.

This isn't the guy you want, he would run away to France, screaming like a scared little girl, before he'd answer the call to serve his country that he so clearly despises, at least without a Clinton at the helm.

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