Ga.-based troops who led Iraq invasion prepare for unprecedented third tour

[Barrett808]

Ga.-based troops who led Iraq invasion prepare for unprecedented third tour
By Russ Bynum
ASSOCIATED PRESS
12:10 p.m. December 16, 2006

FORT STEWART, Ga. – With two combat tours under his belt and an unprecedented third fast approaching, Army Sgt. Steve Butcher gets a lot of questions about Iraq from his 6-year-old daughter, Molly.
Do men use guns? Yes.

Do people get killed? Yes.

“Daddy, that's stupid,” she told him when he returned from his second deployment about a year ago.

Recruits in Butcher's infantry unit have questions as well. Why are U.S. troops still in Iraq? Should they be going back?

(more)

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20061216-1210-thirdtourtoiraq.html

[FairVotes4all]

1. Thats so sad...

I really feel for Steve Butcher and his family. Sucks that he's had to spend so much time away from his family, I feel for him.

[napi21]

2. I can only hope THISchanges a lot of minds here in GA!

There are SOOO manyShrub supporters here, it's disgusting! They all seem to look at Shrub as this holy religious man, and they're so happy with him. Let's hope this info will shock or scare them into reality!

[Barrett808]

3. I remember Rumsfeld ridiculing the possibility of 3rd tours

At some Congressional hearing a couple of years ago.

[dos pelos]

7. It may get worse...possible defeat,rout of US Forces in Iraq

US forces encamped and fortified in Baghdad are supplied by truck routes originating in Kuwait.Trucks are driven by civilians,Turks or southeast asians.Truck routes parallel the Tigris and Euphrates.The British are slowly leaving Basra.The US in in the process of confronting the Shia militias in the south.A move against Iran,a US move to remove the current Shia backed Iraqi government or a crack down on the Shia militias in the south could have insurgents closing these truck routes,closing the logistical aorta of the US encampment in Baghdad.Air transport would not be sufficient to supply this force.The Sunni are,closer to Baghdad,slowly encircling American forces there.A noose is closing.Into this Bush,McCain and Reid want to send another 30,000.Again,the means to resupply an expeditionary force in Iraq,centered in Baghdad,may be cut off,and soon.Here is a related report:

<http://www.uruknet.de/?p=m27896&hd=0&size=1&l=e>

[sofa king]

14. Rumsfeld, meanwhile, scoffed....

Rumsfeld, meanwhile, scoffed at reports that many are already on their third tour.

"There’s always a risk when people grab into the middle of something, take the worst of what might be, and then wave it around as though it’s reality," Rumsfeld said.

In fact, different services have different policies concerning deployment lengths, the secretary said.

“So when you start hearing rumors about people on their third tours or fourth tours, you start checking into it, and looking at what you got, you’re going to have people who may be in the Air Force who’ve gone back in on three-month tours, or you may have people who’ve volunteered because that’s what they want to do,” Rumsfeld said.

((Oh, but he wasn't finished with that, no siree.))

In response to a USA Today story Monday about a Marine Corps colonel in Iraq who said he repeatedly asked for 1,000 more Marines, Rumsfeld said such a request was not an indication that there are too few U.S. troops in Iraq.

“The idea … that because somebody wishes they had more at a certain moment suggests the total number is wrong is a non sequitur, obviously a non sequitur,” Rumsfeld said.

Stars and Stripes, August 10, 2005, a government-authorized publication which I believe is allowed to be quoted at length here at DU.

[Barrett808]

15. Thanks for the link!

Gotta save that.

[wakeme2008]

4. This is what is so fucked up

Butcher said he still feels obligated to finish the job in Iraq.

“Were they to just give up, it would've been a complete waste of a lot of time, effort and people's lives – and three years of mine,” he said. “Whether we should've gone or not is irrelevant at this point. There's no other honorable thing to do except to finish it out.”

Maybe a couple more tours will change your mind... :grr:

[LynnTheDem]

5. "finish the job"...

WHAT job?

[Nihil]

9. Fine

> Butcher said he still feels obligated to finish the job in Iraq.

F*ck off to Iraq and die then.

Just don't take anyone else with you as *they* might want to live.

[saigon68]

11. They will die trying

Keep sticking your hand in a running garbage disposal

Yikes

They will die in bunches like dogs for the Halliburton stock holders

[arewenotdemo]

6. "Whether we should've gone or not is irrelevant at this point."

Utterly clueless.

Nothing is more relevant.

[BikeWriter]

8. That's like pouring more catalyst on a runaway reaction.

[WalcottNorfolk]

10. The moral of the troops must have dropped to zero as well

[treestar]

12. Amazing that others have not signed up

Why doesn't this story inspire the right wing war supporters to step in and do their share? If they want the job "finished" whatever that means, you'd think they'd want troops who are fresh, not those already battle-fatigued.

We're talking 25-30% of the voters at least who should be rushing to sign up.

[MasonJar]

13. Well, most six year olds have more sense than W, don't they?