GIVING THE SOLDIERS A BREAK

The leadership here in Europe has scripted the soldier's first 45 days back from Iraq...with 30 of those days being leave.

And that process begins the moment the plane touches down in Europe.

“Arrival is Zero Day,” Stephens told the gathered spouses. “All we want to do is account for the soldier and get him reunited with his family or into the barracks.”

He said each wave of arriving troops will be greeted by a general officer and a brief welcome-home ceremony. The only other speed bump before being released: Soldiers will have to turn in weapons and any other sensitive items.

The next day, he said, begins a seven-day series of briefings, medical screenings and other tasks. That’s seven days straight — no weekends or federal holidays that might happen to fall within that window. The good news is that soldiers will be on a half-day schedule, working only about four hours a day.

The idea, he said, is to “gradually reintroduce” soldiers to life outside the combat zone and allow leaders to identify any soldiers who might be having a difficult time readjusting.

But the first seven days home are a little different.

After more than a year in Iraq, Maj. Jonathan Sirmon can imagine no better way to start off the day than taking his 3-year-old daughter to day care.

As part of a seven-day reintegration program for troops returning from the Middle East, providing time for such quality moments is all part of the plan.

The weeklong program puts all returning troops on a half-day schedule with four hours “on duty” for a checklist full of required briefings, medical screenings and assorted paperwork. The rest of the day is set aside for family time and taking care of personal business.