Thread: Troops leaving, what happens next?

That presence is far from over. Scatterings of troops still await departure, and some 50,000 will stay another year in what is designated as a noncombat role. They will carry weapons to defend themselves and accompany Iraqi troops on missions (but only if asked). Special forces will continue to help Iraqis hunt for terrorists.
So the U.S. death toll — at least 4,415 by Pentagon count as of Wednesday — may not yet be final.
The Stryker brigade's departure left about 52,600 U.S. troops in Iraq as of Thursday, said Lt. Gen. Robert Cone. The U.S. military's top spokesman in Iraq, Maj. Gen. Stephen Lanza, called Iraqi security forces ready to defend the country despite "some violent acts that we've seen."
"Their capability continues to grow, which has enabled us to conduct our responsible drawdown," Lanza said on CBS's "The Early Show."
Based in Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state and named for the vehicle that delivers troops into and out of battle, the Stryker brigade lost 34 troops in Iraq. It was at the forefront of many of the fiercest battles, including operations in eastern Baghdad and Diyala province, an epicenter of the insurgency, during "the surge" of 2007. It evacuated troops at the battle of Tarmiyah, an outpost where 28 out of 34 soldiers were wounded holding off insurgents.
The U.S. military kept a tight lid on security, restricting the media embedded with the U.S. troops from reporting on the brigade's movements until they were almost to the border.
The brigade's leadership volunteered to have half of its 4,000 soldiers depart overland instead of taking the traditional flight out, a decision that allowed the unit to keep 360 Strykers in the country for an extra three weeks. The remainder of the brigade flew out with the last of the troops slated to leave later Thursday.

U.S. commanders say it was the brigade's idea to drive out, not an order from on high. The intent was to keep additional firepower handy through the "period of angst" that followed Iraq's inconclusive March 7 election, said brigade chief, Col. John Norris.
It took months of preparation to move the troops and armor across more than 500 kilometers (300 miles) of desert highway through potentially hostile territory.
The Strykers left the Baghdad area in separate convoys over a four-day period, traveling at night because the U.S.-Iraq security pact — and security worries — limit troop movements by day.
Along the way, phalanxes of American military Humvees sat at overpasses, soldiers patrolled the highways for roadside bombs, and Apache attack helicopters circled overhead as the Strykers refueled alongside the highway.
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Gus McKinney, a brigade intelligence officer, acknowledged that moving the convoys overland put soldiers at risk, but said the danger was less than in past.
The biggest threat was roadside bombs planted by Shiite extremist groups who have a strong foothold in the south, McKinney said.
But except for camels straying into the road, and breakdowns that required some vehicles to be towed, there were no incidents. The last of the Strykers rolled across the border just before 4 a.m. Thursday into Kuwait, honking their horns and waving to the small crowd gathered at the crossing.
The brigade's leadership was on hand to greet the troops after they crossed the border and pulled into a parking lot where they shed their sweaty armor and stumbled out of their Strykers.
"This is powerful. This is exciting for me. As a commander, this means that all of my soldiers are safely inside of Kuwait and getting ready to redeploy back to their families," Norris told The Associated Press.
The worst of the ride was conditions inside the Strykers — sitting for hours in a cramped space — and the temperatures outside that reached 50 Celsius (120 Fahrenheit).
The driver's compartment is called the "hellhole" because it sits over the engine and becomes almost unbearably hot. The vehicle commander and gunner can sit up in hatches to see the outside world. At the tail end are hatches for two gunners. Eight passengers — an infantry squad in combat conditions — can squeeze in the back.
Riding as a passenger felt a bit like being in a World War II-era submarine — a tight fit and no windows. The air conditioning was switched off to save fuel on the long ride south to Kuwait. Men dozed or listened to music on earphones.
Once out of Iraq, there was still work to be done. Vehicles had to be stripped of ammunition and spare tires, and eventually washed and packed for shipment home.
Meanwhile, insurgents have kept up a relentless campaign against the country's institutions and security forces, including a suicide bombing this week that killed 61 army recruits in central Baghdad. It was only the latest violence to highlight the shaky reality left by the departing U.S. combat force and five months of stalemate over forming Iraq's next government.
For Dill, who reached Kuwait with an earlier convoy, the withdrawal engendered feelings of relief. His mission — to get his squad safely out of Iraq — was accomplished.
Standing alongside a hulking Stryker, his shirt stained with sweat, he acknowledged the men who weren't there to experience the day with him. "I know that to my brothers in arms who fought and died, this day would probably mean a lot, to finally see us getting out of here," he said.
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play the videos. amazing that this is happening!! My tour in Iraq still seems like yesterday

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/38768034#38768034

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540...68034#38763999

Don't worry, Army - there will be plent more deployments in the upcoming years. Although your job can be done remotely - interpreting signals transmitted from theater to SIGINT center.

There are still plenty of troops in Afghanistan so no need to worry about that.

President Obama pledes to have all US troops out of Iraq by the end of 2011

President Obama pledged yesterday to pull all troops from Iraq by the end of next year, declaring "the war is ending."
His commitment comes after Tuesday's withdrawal of all combat troops in the war-torn country and before his Aug. 31 deadline to change the course of the war.
"The bottom line is: The war is ending. Like any sovereign independent nation, Iraq is free to chart its own course. And by the end of the year, all of our troops will be home," Obama said during his radio address from Martha's Vineyard, where he was vacationing.
Until then, an estimated 50,000 troops will remain in Iraq to help local soldiers stabilize the nation, and Obama promised to provide returning veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress proper care.
"Our troops will continue to support and train Iraqi forces, partner with Iraqis in counterterrorism missions and protect our civilian and military efforts," Obama said.
Obama is fulfilling a goal he made during his 2008 presidential campaign, an accomplishment he plans to tout Tuesday during a televised speech to the nation.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) praised the work of U.S. combat forces in Iraq but told the Associated Press "much hard work remains."


Read more: President Obama pledes to have all US troops out of Iraq by the end of 2011

Originally Posted by Grunt Medic TXARNG

Don't worry, Army - there will be plent more deployments in the upcoming years. Although your job can be done remotely - interpreting signals transmitted from theater to SIGINT center.

*2 to what Doc said and also try to stay focused in learning your profession and speciality... remember the world has not changed, it has an and continue to have an alarmingly high number of shitheads that want to see us dead or under their thumb... so good soldiers will never go out of fashion... Be the best soldier you can be in training and always "train as hard as you are going to fight" and move onto to your speciality and be the very best Intel Signals analyst you can be... its very important to focus on the 25m target, and leave the 50m target to later on.... when you are positioned to goto the 50m target when you have mastered the 25m target...

Good luck to ya Army Strong... I would also read my sticky post "for those about to enlist, I salute you!", its got some advice for new recruits or pending new recruits to the military....

Exo