REST AND RELAXATION

First mention of R&R for the troops in Iraq. As of now it is meager, but I'm sure every bit helps.

BAGHDAD, Iraq — To bystanders, the blue- and-white bus that pulled into the dusty headquarters of the “Bastogne Bulldogs” early Monday morning looked like any other old bus.

But to the small crowd of 101st Airborne (Air Assault) soldiers gathered at Qayyarah West Airfield, a former military air base about 30 miles south of Mosul, it was far from any old bus.

It was “The Big Blue Bus” — destination, two nights’ fun, rest, and freedom from stress, worry and work.

“Basically, we get to relax,” said Pfc. Cristal Schorn, a 20-year-old from Schaumberg, Ill., who was busy repacking her bag before boarding the bus.