Brigade to leave Iraq early

[unhappycamper]

Brigade to leave Iraq early
By Joseph Giordono, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Friday, November 7, 2008

Acting on the recommendations of Gen. David H. Petraeus and Gen. Ray Odierno, the Pentagon will cut one combat brigade from Iraq six weeks earlier than planned.

The decision was announced Wednesday in Washington and will bring the number of brigades down from 15 to 14.

"The security situation is such that Petraeus has made a decision to bring them home about six weeks early," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. "The hope is they can come home before Christmas."

Petraeus, who took over Central Command at the end of October, made the recommendation based on input from Odierno, who succeeded him in September as head of all U.S. forces in Iraq.

The drawdown is the result of the 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division not being backfilled when it departs, officials said. In addition, the plan means cutting to 13 months the tour of the 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, which was scheduled to leave Iraq early next year. Instead, it will head home beginning this month.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=58673