Via Agonist, "Just-returned troops ready for new mission." This is something I had been wondering about-- with stories about pressure to bring some troops home from Iraq, along with others talking about how thinly spread the armed forces are, where were new troops going to come from? Here's one answer:
About 5,000 soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division will leave within days to relieve weary units struggling to pacify Iraq -- not that the 82nd's paratroopers are fresh themselves.The deployment of the 3rd Brigade task force, North Carolina's biggest deployment to Iraq since the war began , might be the clearest example of how thinly spread the U.S. Army is: Most in the group returned from duty in Afghanistan just six months ago. Others fought in Iraq and returned in May.
The Pentagon recognized how much it was asking. The task force was the only unit in a troop rotation plan announced last month that was given a six-month assignment. The others were told to expect a year in Iraq.
Next question: how long before the troops who just came home are sent out again?
Posted by Jason at August 27, 2003 08:42 AM