[stilts]

Actually, many of the helicopters are the same equipment also. My brother-in-law flies choppers for the Marine Reserves and is being rotated in to replace their sister unit which is on the east coast as opposed to his west coast unit. They sent in the same choppers.

What you need to keep in mind is that the returning soldiers will need to have equipment at the base they return to. They left base with all their equipment so if they leave their stuff in Iraq then the other equipment would be needed to be moved to the bases they return to.

[Poundstone]

"Actually, many of the helicopters are the same equipment also. My brother-in-law flies choppers for the Marine Reserves and is being rotated in to replace their sister unit which is on the east coast as opposed to his west coast unit. They sent in the same choppers.

What you need to keep in mind is that the returning soldiers will need to have equipment at the base they return to. They left base with all their equipment so if they leave their stuff in Iraq then the other equipment would be needed to be moved to the bases they return to."

Thanks and I appreciate that, but I have two comments:

a. While many troops use the same equipment, remember that a large portion of the new, incoming troops are Marines. They don't fly the Apache or the Chinook; and the Army doesn't fly the Cobra or the CH-46. Thus, at a minimum, the Army and Marine aviation units need to switch some helicopters.

b. This is exactly my point: if the incoming and outgoing troops could use mostly the same equipment already located in Iraq, then you wouldn't have to ship so much stuff out or return it to the U.S. or Europe.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Please thank your brother-in-law for his service, stilts!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Prayers for your brother-in-law and his safe return.