GOOD NEWS FOR 1AD SOLDIERS AND THOSE OF US MISSING THEM

Secretary Rumsfeld says:

General Abizaid has now indicated his desire to retain the current level of forces in Iraq, roughly 135,(000), (1)38,000 forces, for longer than the 90 days that we recently extended about 20,000 forces to get up to that higher figure. We will not extend the same individuals beyond the 90 days. Instead we are identifying and preparing to deploy forces to replace those individuals.

Recently I approved deployment of approximately 10,000 replacement personnel. Other units are now being identified and will be approved in the coming days.

(Emphasis added)

And this is how they will accomplish that:

The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit will leave Camp Lejeune two months early and go directly to Iraq, where it will relieve Army units stationed there.

The orders were announced Tuesday by the Department of Defense. The 2,200-member 24th MEU is currently about halfway through its normal six-month training cycle for a previously scheduled deployment to the Mediterranean Sea.

The MEU was on a training in an urban environment exercise, or TRUEX, in Morgantown, W.Va., when military officials ordered it to leave in 70 days to replace elements of the Army's 1st Armored Division and 2nd Light Cavalry Regiment who were extended in Iraq. The MEU was previously scheduled to leave in late August.