Some of the Surging Troops Will be on Their FIFTH Deployment

[tekisui]

How many times can we put these good men and women through war deployments? Troops will be on their 2nd, 3rd, 4th and many on their 5th deployments to Afghanistan. It is unfathomable to me to ask that of an individual. We will be dealing with the consequences of war for a generation or more.

We are creating a population of veterans who have been overworked and are increasingly suffering from the endless war. Exhaustion, mental and emotional fatigue will return with each soldier that makes it back home.

The pain and suffering of endless war will continue to ripple through our society.

[katandmoon]

1. Well, they may get a somber-faced visit from Obama if they fly home in a box.

[Bluebear]

2. Cue "progressive" replies: "They knew what they were getting into"

:(

[Hydra]

3. That's not a progressive reply

This progressive says "Why are we doing this to our people?"

[kenny blankenship]

5. Hence the quotation marks.

[Hydra]

11. Sorry, was sarcasm blind on that one

Because I HAVE seen it.

[noamnety]

27. Every time I read a post like that

I think about the legal defense that prostitutes are "unrapable."

(It's okay for anyone to rape them at anytime because it's in their job description.)

[Better Today]

4. Do you have a link that supports your comment? (more below)

It seem to recall that we used to have some rule about troops only being able to be deployed for a limited time. Then I remember something about that not being honored, then I thought the Congress passed something saying it had to be honored.

I can't imagine the kinds of lies and bullshit these poor enlistees have been facing through out this whole ordeal. I've heard so many horror stories about the broken promises of our government to our soldiers. It's just disgusting.

And to the poster above me... I'm one that has little sympathy for a soldier's death, they new that possibility when they signed up. What I've ALWAYS said is that I've ALWAYS been more concerned, very concerned and disheartened and even angry at the way the surviving soldiers (in country or out) are treated and lied to and disenfranchised.

Obama should be ashamed.

[tekisui]

7. I have great sympathy for soldier's deaths and for their

families. A majority join because they need a job. Poverty keeps our military voluntary.

Which comments are you wanted to see links for?

You are correct that there is a required amount of 'home time' proportional to deployment time. The war has been going on for eight years, though. Here is a link that mentions a fifth deployment:

The patience has worn particularly thin for spouses, who have long since learned to become single parents. Many of these military couples have spent more of their marriages apart than together, and have had to re-introduce fathers to children every few months. Some expressed skepticism at the president’s announcement of an endpoint.

“I don’t think people see an end in sight because there is no end in sight,” said Jessica Suckarieh, 32, whose husband, a flight medic, returned to Fort Drum from Iraq in September and is scheduled to deploy again in August. “My son is 1 year old, and he’s known his father for two months.”

Ms. Suckarieh added: “We have a friend who’s been in the military seven years and has been deployed five of those years. Personally, I don’t think anyone in the military believes this is going to end soon.”

Taryn Cagle, 29, an Iraq war veteran and a mother of three, said her husband was about to leave Fort Campbell for his fifth deployment. She said she had learned firsthand not to depend on schedules in the Army, no matter who is announcing them.

“You get to that point you’re looking forward to something and it changes every deployment,” Ms. Cagle said of her time in Iraq. “You’re leaving on this day, then they extend you three months, then they extend you this number of days. Your morale is down, your frustration is up.”

As for an end, she said: “I’ll believe it when I see it. Because they’re going to change it a thousand times before it happens.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/02/us/02voices.html

NECN: Josh Brogadir, Milford, NH) - There is a lot of reaction to President Obama's decision on Afghanistan. A departure ceremony was held for the New Hampshire National Guard Unit that is being deployed to Afghanistan.

For some it's their first deployment, others their third, even fourth time overseas.
http://www.necn.com/Boston/New-England/2009/12/01/Troops-react-to-Obamas-plan/1259722379.html

Terry said he plans to watch Obama's speech at home. He said he doesn't know whether the 10th Mountain's 1st Brigade will be deployed to Afghanistan -- which would be the unit's fourth deployment and second to Afghanistan.
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/12/fort_drum_waits_from_news_from.html

Remarkably, there are only 40 mental health care professionals in Afghanistan and about 68,000 US soldiers currently deployed there, thousands of whom are on their second, third and, in some cases, fourth deployment. The additional troops Obama intends to deploy would bring the total number of troops in the region to roughly 100,000.
http://www.truthout.org/1202095

There are many more.

[Better Today]

8. Links to something showing that the deployments were reaching 5-6 times.

Thank you. I didn't so much doubt it as I just wanted to see a link. Last I've heard around here, most were on or approaching a fourth deployment, which in and of itself is ridiculous.

As for the deaths of soldiers, sorry I have no empathy there or for their families in the manner that you desire me to. Contrarily, I am one that believes that our volunteer services need to be able to have the option of opting out of any police action or "war" that is not on USA soil, particularly the National Guardsmen who I'm pretty sure never expected to have to go anywhere but to stay here and protect us. Just my two cents. I'm nobody, never will be anybody, so don't let my opinion cause an uproar.

[eleny]

21. It's being discussed right now on CNN

The context is a discussion of the mental health needs of the soldiers. some who have endured 3, 4 and even 5 deployments.

The title of the discussion is "Mental Health And Warriors".

[JonLP24]

26. No link but I was there

Anyone who served since 1st deployments of Afghanistan/Iraq are easily on their 5th and possibly 6th tour. The norm was 3-4 by 2007. The only policy there is, is that you get "dwell time" what that means is if you spent a year overseas, you get one year stateside unless you sign off to back sooner before your "dwell time" is over.

[elocs]

6. My 20 year old godson finished his 1st tour ealier this year.

Since he re-enlisted for another 6 year my guess is that his Commander in Chief will have him going back at least a few more times, or until he is killed or too wounded to return. I had much higher hopes this would not happen under Obama as compared to McCain, but guess I was wrong. I also knew that Obama promised to send 2 more brigades earlier this year, I just wasn't expecting him to add 30,000 more troops and who knows how many more in the future.

[C_Lawyer09]

10. I salute him

And hope for his safety. Take heart, I have many, many friends who have deployed multiple times and healthy. I very much hope that the administration holds to Obama's stated timeline for our mission to be accomplished in Afghanistan. Any young man or woman whom volunteers to serve in this climate, has my utmost respect and admiration.

[C_Lawyer09]

9. A caveat

Our post 9/11 environment has demanded hugely of some of our folks, not so much from others. There needs to be some thought toward spreading responsibility more evenly. The Stryker Brigades out of Hawaii, Alaksa, Fort Lewis, have borne such a huge brunt of the deploying and fighting. This fact also very unevenly distributes the recruiting weight amongst the services. I.E. Navy and Air Force consistently making mission easily, and cutting options. The Army and Marine Corps doing monkey flips and cheetah somersaults to make mission. The fact is, there needs to be more shared mission. When I joined the Marine Corps in '88 I was told, as all Marines are still told,"Every Marine is a basic infantry rifleman". I'd also like to weigh in on the National Guard and Reserve mission. If at this point, anybody who joins either, thinking they are going to stay stateside, they either have absolutely 0 media awareness or have lived in a tiny village far from human contact for several years. One last thing, 70% of active duty Army Recruiters are selected, not volunteers, otherwise we wouldn't have close to enough. I want to make a point that regardless of the rumor mill and media focus on "bad recruiters" most that I worked with, were extremely clear and lucid, about the almost assured case of deployment. A prior service infantryman I enlisted died in Iraq. He was one of the most highly qualified and stand up individuals I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. His father was a retired Sergeant Major. We had to negotiate a double waiver to get him back in. It was a real Cluster F###. He never once mentioned any of his family connections to grease the wheels. I was told later, he took a patrol from a junior non-commissioned officer that just arrived in country. I wasn't surprised at all. With an all volunteer force, there is no way Soldiers Sailors Airmen or Marines can have the option of opting out of deployments. I'd be for a draft, because it would force everybody to give a damn about how thinly stretched our forces are.

[knightinwhitesatin]

28. Thanks for acknowledging the

Stryker Brigades.....if I end up going in the Afghan surge this will be my fourth deployment total, third with the same brigade 2/25th in Hawaii, once as an Infantry Brigade back in 05, then again as a Stryker Brigade in 07 and again as a Stryker if we go this time.

People don't realize that the 6 active duty Stryker Brigades are per capita deploying twice as much as other Army brigades...........

[JVS]

12. It seems we've returned to a modified form of the old policy of make them fight until they are...

either killed or too badly wounded to fight anymore.

[tekisui]

13. A dead soldier is cheaper than a wounded soldier.

[C_Lawyer09]

20. Please, at least do enough research

That would allow you to refrain from making grandiose and hugely untrue statements.

[L0oniX]

14. I will help anyone who goes AWOL.

[C_Lawyer09]

19. Kindly explain why you would help

realizing that it is in fact a volunteer force. Please also remember, that while obviously there is much inherent risk serving in the armed forces today, most are proud to do so, and feel they are making a real contribution to our national security.

[JTFrog]

23. Some were lied to when they signed up. Some had no other options when they signed up.

There are many reasons why I might consider helping someone who went AWOL.

[tekisui]

24. How do you know most feel they are making a contribution

to our national security? The ones I've talked to freely admit that it is no longer about national security, but about nation-building now.

The back door draft, the stop-loss, the ability of the military to throw the fine print in the face of soldiers who want out, the prospect of a fifth deployment---there are lots of reasons why a 'volunteer' could want out, and all of them are valid.

[stray cat]

15. Unlike the rest of us who let them serve in our place

[tekisui]

16. But, not unlike the families who carry your burden.

[Solly Mack]

17. K/R

[Tim01]

18. K/R nt

[Mithreal]

22. K&R The families too. We are destroying ourselves as swiftly

as we destroy the lives of others.

[shadowknows69]

25. Probably a good chunk of them from our base at Fort Drum too

Most of these poor guys and girls were already broken when I was talking to them 3 and 4 years ago.

[tblue37]

29. I read a magazine article the other day while in the doctor's office.

It was a memorial for those who died in Iraq and Afghanistan during 2008. One in particular caught my eye--a soldier who finally was killed on his seventh deployment. SEVEN! They are playing "no exit Russian Roulette" with our troops' lives. They just keep sending them over there (pulling the trigger) until they finally get killed. The only way out of the "game" is to die.