U.S. Troops In Iraq Have Time On Hands

Army Spc. Nicholas Pieniazek of Delanson, N.Y., tries to block a shot by an Iraqi soldier during a recent soccer game at a post southeast of Baghdad. Improved security has created free time for U.S. troops. By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell via Reuters

From USA Today:

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq — Pfc. Adrian Vesik heard that war could be hell.

He was happy to discover when he arrived in Iraq earlier this year that his war experience also would include salsa dancing, yoga and martial-arts classes.

"When I signed up for the Army, I thought I was going to be a hero — go out and do some fighting," says Vesik, 19, during a break at a Filipino-Okinawan jujitsu class. "I haven't come close to doing anything that I was trained to do. I work, maybe, four to five hours a day. I have time to try all these new things. It's not so bad."

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My Comment: What a difference a few years make. Many would never have thought that this was possible 3 years ago.

U.S. Ground Troops In Iraq Will 'Mostly Be Done' By Mid-2009

In this picture provided by the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, foreground left, and U.S Army Gen. David Petraeus, commanding general, Multi-National Force-Iraq, foreground right, depart a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, in Baghdad on Wednesday, July 9, 2008. The Defense Department says Mullen is on a six-day tour of the region. (AP Photo/Department of Defense, U.S. Navy Petty Offier 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley)

From The International Herald Tribune:

WASHINGTON: U.S. ground troops in Iraq will be mostly finished with combat operations by the middle of 2009, the senior U.S. Army officer in charge of training Iraqi forces said Wednesday.

"The ground forces will mostly be done by the middle of next year," Lieutenant General James Dubik told the U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee. That could be between April and August, he said.

Dubik added that U.S. forces still might be needed at that point for air support and training. He declined to say when operations for all U.S. forces would be completed, saying that depended on when the Iraqi government completed certain tasks, such as purchasing its own aircraft.

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More News On U.S. Troops And Iraq

U.S. ground troops mostly done in Iraq in '09 -- Yahoo News
US ground troops mostly done in Iraq in '09 -general -- Reuters
General: Iraq needs long-term US military help -- AP
Iraqi forces estimated to become proficient in ‘09 -- Prescott News
Iraqi forces estimated to become proficient in '09 -- Forbes
Iraqi forces estimated to become proficient in '09 -- Yahoo News
Iraq official: U.S. could be out by 2011 -- CNN
Electoral pressure seen driving Iraq pullout timetable demands -- AFP
US braces for possible surge in insurgent attacks -- Yahoo News
"Grim milestone" alert: July's first OIF KIA -- Tigerhawk

My Comment: It is amazing how a year can change everything. Kudos to American, coalition, and Iraqi soldiers who did not give up hope. Kudos to the politicians and leaders who did not give up hope. Kudos to the American public who did not give up hope. Kudos to the Iraqi people, who still suffer from terrorism and revenge killings but also are able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.