Casey: Army tours in Iraq likely to shorten.
By on Feb 19th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Casey: Army tours in Iraq likely to shorten.
The AP reports that according to Army Chief of Staff Gen. George C. Casey, “soldiers heading to war this summer are likely to see their tours shortened from 15 months to 12 months”:
Gen. George Casey says that while his forces are strained by nearly seven years at war, the Army can maintain 15 combat brigades in battle for at least a couple of months after July while military commanders assess the situation in Iraq.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, have both said they favor a suspension in troop cuts after July to assess security gains before more forces leave the country.
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I don’t think the Army has much of a choice. It’s so stretched that they’re running on fumes. Casey and the other generals will scrape by with what they have any way they can until the Bush clock has run out. And then it will be up to the next president to either commit political suicide by reinstating the draft or yank the troops out of Iraq.
February 19th, 2008 at 5:19 pmDoes anybody know what they are doing? First the surge was temporary – then not so much. Then the troops were getting stretched too thin, so we rotate them home – Gates and Petreous say no. The we have another general saying the troops are stretched too thin, so they must rotate home?
Are we bringing them home or not? Are we lengthening or shortening their tours now?
What has the Bush adminsitration done to our troops?
February 19th, 2008 at 5:19 pmOf course they will have shorter tours of duty. In less than 12 months, there will be a new President in the White House and both Democratic candidates plan on redeployment. The Democrats will have a strong majority in the next Congress so the war funding will be cut.
“Less jobs, more wars” McCain doesn’t stand a chance. The voters are getting younger and are tired of these old dried up Republicans.
February 19th, 2008 at 5:19 pmDefense Secretary Robert Gates and Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, have both said they favor a suspension in troop cuts after July to assess security gains before more forces leave the country.
So, how are they going to accomplish that without extending the tours of the current troops who are coming up on their 15 month deadline?
February 19th, 2008 at 5:25 pmSo, how are they going to accomplish that without extending the tours of the current troops who are coming up on their 15 month deadline?
Comment by bilbobaggins — February 19, 2008 @ 5:25 pm
There are still plenty of unbribed Sunni tribes. And when we’re done with them, we can start bribing Kurds and Shi’ites.
We may have a finite supply of military personnel, but China’s got an endless supply of money to lend.
February 19th, 2008 at 5:28 pmSo, how are they going to accomplish that without extending the tours of the current troops who are coming up on their 15 month deadline?
Comment by bilbobaggins — February 19, 2008 @ 5:25 pm
They shorten the “12 months” stateside.
February 19th, 2008 at 5:29 pmSo, how are they going to accomplish that without extending the tours of the current troops who are coming up on their 15 month deadline?
Comment by bilbobaggins
That is what I am asking…Some generals say go home, others stop the process. Some generals say we have enough soldiers to die for the illegal invasion, others say we need more bodies to fill the failed imperialistic vision of the neocons.
In this three ring circus, is there a head clown we can talk to?
February 19th, 2008 at 5:30 pmThose poor guys and guys, sent to a living hell for a lie and Bush the sociopath could give a rats ass as long as he can pass it on to the next Pres, assuming that there is gonna be a next Pres.
Bush/Cheney/Rove
Hague Trials ‘09
Buck Fush
February 19th, 2008 at 5:33 pmer ah, guys and gals
February 19th, 2008 at 5:33 pmDid they increase the length of their “tours” to 15 months so that then they could claim to be cutting the length of their tours when they bring the length back to the original 12 months?
Nah, that would be too cynical.
February 19th, 2008 at 5:35 pmInteresting that now 12 months is referred to as a shortened tour.
February 19th, 2008 at 5:44 pmInteresting that now 12 months is referred to as a shortened tour.
Comment by MapleStreet
And that is exactly how this invasion has been sold to the American people. Long is short, right is wrong, left is right, up is down. That just about clears it all up, huh?
February 19th, 2008 at 5:45 pmSomething else I have been thinking about, regarding the fewer American deaths in Iraq. You don’t suppose it is because they finally got the up-armored vehicles they should have had back in 2005, do you? A majority of the soldiers who die in Iraq die from injuries they receive when their humvee’s are blown up. The recent article on the army’s resistance to sending the up-armored vehicles showed that many soldiers died because their vehicles were not properly protected.
I heard last night that the holdup had to do with the Army wanting Northrop-Grummond to get the contract for these vehicles. Unfortunately they can’t start delivering them until 2012. But, there is a company in Africa that builds them now. So some genius in the Army thought it would be a good idea to wait for the American made vehicles. In the meantime 700+ soldiers died because our military did not purchase the vehicles that were immediately available.
February 19th, 2008 at 5:51 pmI heard last night that the holdup had to do with the Army wanting Northrop-Grummond to get the contract for these vehicles. Unfortunately they can’t start delivering them until 2012. But, there is a company in Africa that builds them now.
Comment by bilbobaggins
I saw that story – it broke my heart knowing that hundreds have died and been injured because Bush thinks he is a King.
Funny how the right side always thinks they support the troops. I wonder if the right side has any trouble with our troops dying because we must wait until 2012 for the Northrup vehicles – rather then using the ones that are available NOW.
Any trolls want to talk about this? Do the trolls think we are giving our brave soldiers EVERYTHING they need to finaih the job? I didn’t think so.
February 19th, 2008 at 5:59 pmthus reducing them from 125% of normal to a mere 100% of normal.
wow – won’t they feel lucky.
all 3 generals lined up to piss down the troops’ legs and telling them it’s raining. nice, honorable, dareisay majestic.
February 19th, 2008 at 6:05 pmHillary’s likely to shorten them a lot quicker!
February 19th, 2008 at 6:28 pm“Tours likely to shorten”
For who?
February 19th, 2008 at 7:39 pmOfficers?
Family and friends of Bush and his cronies?
Republican contributers?
The dead or severely maimed?
Vietnam was not handled correctly, who disputes that? It cost Humphrey in 1968 and then it was Carter and Clinton, who didn’t have as much military aggression as Reagan and the Bushes, though Clinton was no spendthrift.
February 19th, 2008 at 7:42 pmIn this three ring circus, is there a head clown we can talk to?
Comment by StratRat — February 19, 2008 @ 5:30 pm
Let’s ask the “war czar” that Shrub ceremoniously appointed last year. What was his name again? Anybody heard from him lately?
Never mind.
February 19th, 2008 at 7:46 pm2 or more wrongs don’t make a right…
…but they do make a Righty.
February 19th, 2008 at 7:53 pmLOL, the war czar.
Don’t worry, the military will decide when to finish, and when to start… citizens need not worry, they’re not military.
February 19th, 2008 at 8:17 pmI work on a military installation and I see young men and women training to go to the middle east. It breaks my heart to see this administration use them as cannon fodder to push their personal agenda.
P.S. Did you read about the abandoned dog in Iraq who was shipped to the US? Iraqis wanting to come to the US just have to dress up like dogs.
February 19th, 2008 at 8:56 pmHey #23 you are an idiot. The military doesn’t decide nothing. The commander in chief is a civilian and he decides. Are you really that stupid?
February 19th, 2008 at 8:59 pm40 years ago this week the US military reported 543 KIA and over 2500 wounded during the TET offensive. One week! All for JFK/LBJs mistake, and you fools think that the democrats are going to save you? What a joke.
Some of us were there and some were here making noise and some OD us joined them when we got back. We didn’t have time to chat in some little club like this.
Comment by Gin — February 19, 2008 @ 6:59 pm
No body armor, no Kevlar helmets. At least we had armored vehicles!
February 19th, 2008 at 10:01 pmM. Casey does not sound very confident.
February 20th, 2008 at 1:15 pm