WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING the plight of the 3d ID for some weeks now. So this comes as no surprise...

As the uproar over the 3rd Infantry Division's continued mission in Iraq continues, senior officers spent Thursday explaining the latest developments and addressing concerns about soldiers' welfare.

Maj. Gen. Buford Blount, the division commander, held a video teleconference with local media while Col. Jack Sterling, the chief of staff who just returned from Iraq, met with family members at Fort Stewart.

Mostly, family members feel betrayed because plans were in the works to bring troops home. Meetings had been held and parties planned. Then, the Department of Defense decided Iraq was too unstable and the division needed to stay.

Now, one brigade is driving toward a hot spot north of Baghdad while two other brigades continue security patrols in the city.