Officials: 30,000 troops heading to Iraq in 2009

[ElsewheresDaughter]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon is preparing to order roughly 30,000 troops to Iraq early next year in a move that would allow the U.S. to maintain 15 combat brigades in the country through 2009, The Associated Press has learned.
The deployments would replace troops currently there. But the decisions could change depending on whether Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, decides in the fall to further reduce troop levels in Iraq.

Several officials familiar with the deployments spoke on condition of anonymity because the orders have not yet been made public.

According to the officials, three active-duty Army brigade combat teams, one Army National Guard brigade and two Marine regimental combat teams are being notified that they are being sent to Iraq in early 2009. Officials would not release the specific units involved because the soldiers and Marines and their families have not all been told.

The Guard unit, however, is the 56th Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, from the Pennsylvania National Guard. Members of that unit — a large brigade with heavily armored Stryker vehicles — were told last October that they should be prepared to deploy to Iraq early in 2009. The order this week is the formal notice that includes a more specific time frame.

Currently, the final brigade involved in the military buildup in Baghdad last year is pulling out of Iraq. That departure will leave 15 combat brigades there — compared to a high of 20 for much of the past year. Other smaller units are also there, including troops doing security, logistics, air assaults, intelligence and medical aid.

more....

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080627/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_iraq_troops

[jimshoes]

1. Wow, just think where we'd be if

major combat operations in Iraq hadn't ended.

[Megahurtz]

2. God when will they stop???

:banghead:

Pull the fuck out of there!

[indepat]

3. When the oil is all harvested fbo big oil

:D

[badgervan]

4. If Those Troops.....

... were sent to Afghanistan instead, we could make some real progress in going after the real bad guys.

[ohio2007]

5. Congress rubber stamps "OK" nt

[kimmylavin]

6. Okay, this is nuts.

This is literally becoming a "you and what army" scenario.
Where the hell are we getting 30,000 troops???

[Viva_La_Revolution]

7. My son just came home 2 days ago and told us he goes in May...

(Oregon Nat. Guard, no mention of his brigade in this article).. and to top it all off, I had just finished watching "In the Valley of Elah" :cry:

edited for clarity

[uppityperson]

8. Does this mean more 4th tours, and perhaps 5th tours? k&r

[Bush_MUST_Go]

9. Gotta protect the oil deals & the new embassy.

[dixiegrrrrl]

10. Ironically, recent news story about a guy who got discharged because he was gay.

Wouldn't it be great if a whole platoon stood up and said they were all gay?
A company?
an army?

[tuckessee]

11. Most of them joined well after the Iraq War started.

Many in the combat arms signed up with the intent of going to war. This war. I doubt they'll be any dissenters.