Stryker Brigade News

My son is with the 172nd SBCT. He and his fellow soldiers have served their year in Iraq. My son was just four days from coming home. And now he has been told that he is instead going to Baghdad.

You bet morale will suffer, the soldiers and the families. You bet these soldiers are battle weary. We are all on the verge of a breakdown, just knowing that this isn't over and is instead getting worse.

The preceding comment is a view that I know is shared by the large majority of us who have kids,in my case, who are being treated this way.I am proud of my soldier and others who are doing their duty. I am not very proud of those giving the orders and who are abusing the morale of these kids. Shame on all of you!!!

My son is also with the 172nd and was due home in the next few days. God bless America!

As the mother of a soldier (now discharged)who served a year in Iraq in 2003, I cannot imagine the outrage and the anguish that is being felt by those soldiers (and their families) who are being extended at the last minute. What happened to the "promise" that soldiers would be deployed for no longer than one year?!? Obviously, there is a severe shortage of soldiers, so why doesn't the Pentagon address the issue and reinstitute the draft? My heart goes out to these extended soldiers and their famiies. I will continue to pray for all of them. God Bless!

My son was stoplossed, his contract for what it's worth was up in April, being extended for the duration of his tour was a tough pill for him to swallow and this news has put him over the top. A blow to their morale is putting it lightly, these guys hopes were dashed so quickly and callously. How dare they let them think up to the last minute that they were finally going home. I hope the Army is prepared to deal with these guys mental states, because I know that my son for one is not in any frame of mind to be doing battle in Baghdad!

This has got to be so hard for these soldiers and their families. I will continue to pray for their safety and for the loved ones waiting at home.
Stryker Mom,
Ellen

Wow... I really feel horrible for the soldiers and families left waiting. 12 months is a long time and the word of another 3 is a serious kick to the teeth. The soldiers from the 172nd relieved myself and the other soldiers from 1/25SBCT in SEPT last year after I had been out of the US for 13 months. When we were about 3 months out from going home the possibility of a trip down south was being passed around and we dreaded it. Now that it has happened to these guys I feel horrible for them. Hopefully their mission down south will enable the Iraqis to become more agile and adaptive... and hopefully take on more of the fight sooner... so this way the soldiers from the 172nd won't have to go back for another trip to the desert like so many other units and soldiers before them have had to do. I hope they can focus their anger and rage on the real people that have kept them their longer... the AIF. God speed to the warrior leaders of the 172nd.

To the soldier's, families, and friends of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. I can't imagine how disappointed you must be now that the news that your loved one's tour in Iraq has been extended. Please know that there are fellow Americans out there who are praying for you and thinking about you with sadness in their hearts as well. While it's true that we need the military to keep our country safe, there are different opinions and strategies on how best to utilize their deployment. We may be tempted to criticize the present administration and we have the means to change the leadership. I leave you with the wisdom of President Theodore Roosevelt.

"The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else."

"Roosevelt in the Kansas City Star", 149
May 7, 1918

Good luck and warm wishes to you all.

I proudly support my Stryker soldier. Its been a long hard road and it just got a lot harder. All we can do is pray for our troops safe return. So until then lets keep the yellow ribbons up, the flags flying and give them all the support that we can.

My heart sank when I heard the news.. It is nearly a year when this time last year I was waiting for my son to come home. I could think of nothing else, having gone through a year of torment, being available for my son 24/7 to contact me. Knowing what was going on, what he was going through, the firefights, the killings, the emotions..and the thought of him suddenly not coming home..that there was this huge delay..would have devasted me.. I do not know how you guys will cope. My prayers will be with you all... I am so sorry...

Today,
My family found out that brother who is in the 172 Stryker Brigade was a couple of weeks from returning in to the states will not be on home ground soon as we thought. Knowing that they were in a little but safer place lets us rest a little easier. But that has changed now that he will be in the most violoent place. This past year has been the toughest I've been through. Hard not knowing were they will be next or the next time we will hear his voice. Harder seeing my mom in tears every time we talk to him. My heart goes out to all the families and their love ones. If they are going through the same thing we are I feel for every one of you. Too many bad thoughts go through our heads at this time. As my brother reported to us today some guys were only a few hours from leave. That has got to be tough. I hope for them to all have a safe return.

Always the sister of soldier.

This is beyond sick. My husband called it "sadistic" and "a slap in the face". Nice way to appreciate the men and women that served this country for a year in a hell hole. This kind of thing should not be allowed to happen with just days till redeployment. I encourage everyone to speak out against it until they are allowed to come home, SOMETHING THEY EARNED. My husband is not cattle, he is an irreplaceable miracle of God, just like all the soldiers. No one I have talked to thinks this is right or makes sense. SICK. It's not just the wait, they're going to BAGHDAD because of the VIOLENCE. There's no limit to the garbage they drag these guys through.

I know it has come as an inconvenience to all involved in this extension and the troops are tired and had their hopes up of returning home to cooler temps and loving arms. As a mom of a soldier , I had to realize after the initial shock that my son is doing a job he signed up to do and as a Mother my job is to continue to supoort and encourage him and the rest of the troops and the loved ones involved.
You all and your soldier is in my prayers. God Bless ALL!
Armymom29702

Everyday I am waiting with worry for him to call, when he doesn't I panic, now we have four more months of this?

My brother-in-law has been in Iraq for over a year.His wife and children and family have been looking forward with great hope to have him home. He was almost HOME. Have they thought of what this is doing to every soldier and their families? The hope of children seeing their daddy..wives,mothers,sisters,brothers and all family members hoping to see our loved ones and by the flick of a pen you decided to keep them longer. I will continue to pray for my brother-in-law and his fellow brothers and sister over in Bagdad.