My family got some good news. My nephews wife does not have to go to Iraq.

[Minimus]

My niece in-law was active duty Navy and then went into the Reserves a few years ago when her time was up. My nephew - her husband did two deployments to Iraq and after he got home the Navy reactivated her for deployment. Since we thought the anguish of having a loved one in Iraq was over, my family was quite upset. After what my nephew went through over there he was very upset.

In January she was attached to an Army unit and was sent to a school for six weeks for some type of training (she was not allowed to tell us about it). After she finished school she was sent for combat training. The poor kid was given a deployment date that was changed about three times. She has been transferred around to different bases waiting for deployment. She sent us all and e-mail a couple of weeks ago telling us the date was set and she said her goodbyes.

Well we got an e-mail from her telling us she isn't going to Iraq after all. Her e-mail said that the Army just realized that she is female. Apparently the Navy will not allow females to be deployed to the area where the Army unit was headed. (I don't quite understand and hope to talk to her soon to get the whole story.)

So this young lady has been away from her family since January. She went through a grueling combat training and was certified for different weapons. Now here it is seven months later and the military says "oops, our bad, you can go home now." She and my nephew had just bought and moved into a new house at the end of last year and when she was reactivated she had to leave her job. Her military pay was much less so the young couple have been struggling financially and the family had to help out so they wouldn't lose their house.

It has been a very tough year but of course we are relieved she isn't going to Iraq. Yet it would have been nice if the Army had figured out she is female a lot sooner.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. the military is broken

I'm glad the Navy has that rule. I fear that before we are out of there, all rules will be out the window and everyone who has ever served will be deployed there on a permanent basis.

[Minimus]

2. I hope to get more detail about this rule - if it is one.

I am just so glad she isn't going.

[Marrah_G]

3. Just a guess

She probably went for corpsman training (medic) to be attached to a marine unit in Anbar Province. That would be my best guess.

My brother commands a Naval reserve unit currently serving in Iraq. A portion of the battalion took medic training and everyone took combat training. They are doing customs work (formerly an Army job) at various ports and airports around Iraq and consist of both men and women. I think it would be something like a combat marine unit type deployment that would make her ineligible as a female.

I could be wrong, but that is my best guess.

Congrats to her and her family for literally dodging this bullet.

There is another Navy Reserve Battalion set to have boots on the ground in November, not sure which one though. ( they are relieving my brother's unit)