In a continuation of bizzaroworld's concept of 'Supporting the Troops", 2,000 Marines will be further 'supported' by having their tours extended.
Happy Fourth of July and remember, you're fighting for 'Freedom' - even if you yourself are being treated like an indentured servant...... oh wait - even THEY couldn't have the terms of their indenture changed...... make that "being treated WORSE than an indentured servant"
details below
Being reported on CNN and elsewhere but no mention here so far.....
From: http://www.heraldextra.com/...
Pentagon extends tour of Marines in Afghanistan
Lolita C. Baldor - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon has extended the tour of 2,200 Marines in Afghanistan, after insisting for months the unit would come home on time.
Marine Col. David Lapan confirmed Thursday that the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is doing combat operations in the volatile south, will stay an extra 30 days and come home in early November rather than October.
Military leaders as recently as Wednesday stressed the need for additional troops in Afghanistan. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has repeatedly praised the work of the 24th MEU in fighting Taliban militants in Helmand Province.
Well, the fireworks shows are regular - not just restricted to the Fourth... other than that I can't see any 'benefit' to those involved ofsetting the increased odds of getting wounded or killed, increased odds and severity for PTSD and additional stress on families at home.....
If we 'supported our troops' any better, we'd skip the intermediate steps. Might just was well sign them up and throw them out in front of live fire right off to get wounded or killed..... Given the amount of time enlistees are spending in Combat Zones now, the actuarial odds are pretty grim for surviving unscathed..... In WWII you never left a unit on the line for more than 90 days straight (if possible).... With Vietnam you only had to serve 12 months in country.
With repeated redeployments and extended tours in situations where they are NOT given the tools needed - and numbers needed - to accomplish an impossible task - we're putting our troops in a Helleresque world that makes a mockery of Duty Honor and Country. TRUE leaders do not squander troops in unwinnable situations.... and we have made even Afghanistan 'unwinnable' with our diversion in Iraq.
Keep in mind that Bush is following BinLaden's play book - binLaden WANTED the US in Afghanistan - to make our troops targets, to make a mockery of US power- to show that the strongest power in the world could NOT win there.... he wanted to show that the Americans could be beaten just as the Soviets were.....
Ironically, binLaden was WRONG - the Soviets were WINNING and would have won if the US had not provided Stingers and significant help - we SHOULD be WINNING in Afghanistan, but having blown the peace by NOT helping rebuild and blowing the conflict now by NOT devoting sufficient resources to the war we SHOULD be fighting, we have made even that effort unwinnable under current conditions.....
Bush has given 'the terrorrists' all they wanted AND MORE. He made the US targets in Afghanistan, then deposed Hussein - a SECULAR opponent of Islamic extremists - turning Iraq into a failed state and breeding/training ground for further enemies of the US.......MORE PEOPLE HATE THE US NOW THAN DID WHEN 9/11 HAPPENED.
(I'll ignore the financial bankrupting of this nation and the ethical and moral bankrupting that's also occurred under this Presidency.... we have gone from Republic to Empire to collapse under one horridly inept Emperor "Unitary Executive", making a mockery of all the United States once stood for...... Meanwhile the crises of climate change, energy resources depletion - the outright future of the Human Race - go unaddressed...... )
in closing -
God protect those serving this nation - because this nation's leadership is doing little for them.........