Tuesday, May 18, 2004

SOUNDS RIGHT TO ME

I wouldn't want to be the guy to try to explain why folks doing the same mission are on such vastly different timetables.
As Pentagon officials scramble to find troops to maintain an expanded force level in Iraq, they are considering extending the time Marines are scheduled to stay there, a senior military official said yesterday.

"We are looking at the Marines' tour," the official said during a briefing on plans to send 3,600 soldiers from South Korea to Iraq.

The study could result in nearly doubling the Marines' expected time in Iraq...

Those Marines and the similar number who are due to replace them later this year are slated to stay for seven months; Army troops remain in Iraq for at least one year.

Marine commanders decided on seven months in Iraq because that was close to the 6-month deployments Marines normally make with amphibious task forces.

But the shorter time deployments are offset by the chance that the Marines could be sent out again in seven months. Troops are promised a year at home after a yearlong deployment, the military official said.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi Tim, I wrote to you a while back when Cpt. Patti's deployment was first extended. I wanted to email you about this story, and then I remembered finally that you now have comments!
I was wondering...could you explain why the Army and the Marines *are* on such different timetables? Are there any advantages to it? Does is create resentment between soldiers and Marines?
Also, from your experience...can you speculate at all on how likely it is that the Pentagon will indeed extend the Marines' tours? I realize you probably have no idea, but you have more experience with the military than anyone I know personally, so...
I still really enjoy reading your site. Thanks for the updates and all the positive news.

--Carla