Movement of forces into Iraq in next few months will slow R&R program

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=19201

Army troops in line for rest and recuperation leave from Iraq will take a back seat during the massive movement of fresh troops into the region in early 2004.

Roughly 118,000 active-duty, National Guard and reserve troops will be moving into Iraq between January and May, replacing a similar number.

That will strain airlift, airspace, ramp space and ground transportation in the theater, said Maj. Pete Mitchell, U.S. Central Command spokesman.

That means troops waiting for R&R may get bumped in favor of getting those relief boots on the ground.

“Those force rotations will take priority over the R&R leave program, meaning that once the rotations start, we expect a curtailment in the amount of R&R leave activity during those critical periods,” Mitchell said.

[Dhalgren]

1. This has all the earmarks of a Bush Army

fuck up. I dread the news in early 2004. Massive casualties, shot down transport planes, green troops getting blown to hell and back and then over reacting on the civilian population. This whole thing feels like a clusterfuck in the making (on top of the already existing quagmire).