Stryker Brigade News

I find it reprehensible that 3rd brigade families and Soldiers are finding out about this from CNN. I guess the powers that be did not learn from 172nd.

I am also sickened by the fact that I learned the news about 3rd. Brigade on the internet. So much for them letting the families know first. Gotta love Army life lol.

I am a reporter at KIRO-TV in Seattle who is working on a story about the Stryker Brigade's deployment extension. I am hoping to get the perspective of soldiers' families in the Seattle area. If you would like to share your story, please call my cell phone, 206-718-9669.
Thank you. My best to you and your families.

I agree it is very heart breaking that we the families of 3rd Brigade must learn that our loved ones are going to be extended via the news and internet. Let's HOPE that maybe next time the ones in control can learn how to handle things a little better in the future. I pray for everyone involved and hope we all can see an end to this soon.

I am VERY UPSET that I had to find out that my husband is getting extended from CNN on TV and not from my FRG!!! I don’t think it is very far that they are getting extended, do they not think about what they are going thou over there and not to mention the family back here, hello??? I’m so sick to my stomach more then anything about still not getting an e-mail or news letter letting use know they were getting extended, instead I had to be watching TV and hear it from there.

Ladies, you can not be serious about being angry at your FRG for not getting the word to you about the extension before you saw it on the news!!?? I too was told I would hear it thru FRG channels first but this is a HUGE decision by people at the Pentagon and the media was waiting anxiously for this info. It was a great idea for the FRG to get you the info first but it was almost logistically impossible. You are angry so you are lashing out but think twice before you lash out at your FRG. No decision this huge can be kept a secret from the media long enough to tell 5000 families in 3rd Brigade. Think about it....

First it was 20,000, then early deployment of units that had not had sufficient down time, then call up 13,000 guard and now extending tours. Finding out on the Internet or on the news is not appropriate. When will someone in DC decide that it is time to come home? It only takes guts and not politics.

You can always count on the media to make your life a little more stressful.Evidentally the people who make these decisions have never had a family member deployed to iraq or afghanistan. When the army extends troops all they see is the number of troops on the ground not the number of families that are going another 3-4 months without their spouses or the children without a parent. Not to mention the soldiers who go 3 months more wondering when that next patrol will be thier last. Did they not learn anything from the 172nd??

First off I am not lashing out at my FRG, I’m just very upset that I did not hear anything from them. WE the military families should know first before the media! And not to mention that it has been awhile now since we all found out and still NO E-MAIL! Don’t tell me to think twice!!!! I AM MAD and I know for a fact that I am not the only one mad about this whole extending deployment!!!!! I just don’t think that the media should be letting use know, that’s all I’m saying. And I do believe that the pentagon new about this for awhile and just decided to tell the press before the military. I just talked to my husband that is over seas and I HAD TO TELL HIM HE WAS GETTING EXTENDED!

So we should think twice before we lash out at our FRG... or what, they won't give us the info on our family members??? I have just one question for you dmg1992 tell me why they held a press comfrence at Ft. Lewis at 15:30 and its now 19:00 and still no email from the FRG. If I rember correctly according to AFTB the Missoin of the FRG is to Help families stay connected, Help families become more knowlegeable and self reliant, Reduce soldiers' and familiy members stress and Increase attention to the mission. Look it up I did. Kudos to Stryker News atleast I know that I can count on you guys for up to date info.

I was expecting this extension since they got there! me only question was 90 or 120 days! not a surprise for me since 172nd was extended before.

Yes it is a pain in the rear that we didn't hear it from the unit before the internet but there are too many factors that just quite frankly didn't make that possible. Also more people need to be going to FRG meetings. I know in our meetings we talked all the time about "prepare yourself for an extension and if there isn't one then it's a welcomed surprise and if there is one you're not let down". It's been a possibility the whole time and since the beginning of the year with the patterns of the Dept of Defense and The Pentagon you could almost count on it.

And the reason you found out online is because someone in The Pentagon was threatening to leak the story before Sec. Gates could make it official. I for one prefer official to a leaked rumor.

And remember, your FRG is going through this deployment just the same as you are and many of them were just as shocked and upset as you rightfully are.

Kudos to you "InFrontOfAScreen". I know the women complaining are the ones that do not attend FRG meetings to begin with and are the first and usually the only ones to complain. I also told my husband that he was extended since the time change in Iraq did not allow the brigade commander to hear of the news until after we heard it here. Our unit had also been made aware of the possibility of an extension at EVERY FRG meeting since JAN 07. But the ones complaining are the ones that chose to never show up so now they choose to complain. Remember, life is 10% what happens to you and 90% of how you choose to react to it.

FRIST OFF I DO GO TO EVERY FRG MEETING THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!!! and you know what is funny is that i did not get an e-mail until today explaning the extendment of the soldiers deployment! I was very clear that there wasa possibility that they were going to be extended, i'm not mad b/c of that i'm mad b/c the fact is that I HAD TO HEAR IT FROM CNN!! &just for your 411 I was very active with my FRG before our men left for over seas!

First of all I want to say welcome to the club. We all know that in a perfect world the soldiers and family would have been notified before releasing info to the media. But the fact is the world of the military and the Army is not a perfect world nor it is all black and white. Those of us that have been through more than one deployment (4 for us) know to expect the unexpected. At least you all have advance notice. My husband was 4 days from comming home in Aug when the 172nd SBCT got notice of their extention ( also via the media not the FRG ). Now I say that is unfair. But all of your complaing and whining and pointing fingers does nothing but hamper your soldiers mental focus to get through this. After all you are the ones at home not in hell. Yes I also had anger and frustration and worry that my husband would not come home to us alive. But I had to come to terms with the fact that he signed up to serve and that he had a job to do. No matter what you opinion on the war is the fact remains that your husbands are voluntary soldiers and have a job to do. We all sacrifice more than we should sometimes but that is what being a soldier and family of one has to do. I am proud that my husband is an American soldier like I know all of you are about your soldiers. It takes courage and hell of alot of guts to do this job and be a family member of one. So stay strong and positive because the negativity and pointing fingers helps no one.

Not all wives of deployed soldiers live on or near the base and are able to attend FRG meetings. In fact, many of us live out of State and the only news we get is from our FRG via email. From this 3rd brigade wifes opinion, this extension was not a shock. Am I still upset about it? Yes. We were made very aware that this was a possibility. But, that does not change the fact that how we found out was completely reprehensible and that fact that I had to be the one to tell my husband he was being extended is ridiculous.

Please take note of this. All of you that have the ability to even recieve information from the FRG. I am a fiance' and have stuck through this deployment just like you all have. However I was told that because we arent married I am not entitled to any information from the FRG. So be thank full for what you have, quit whining and deal with the fact we have to now be stronger than ever before and support our troops and our men.

I do agrea with the last posted comment. i moved away from base when my husband left. so i don't get any info. when it comes to the deployment, almost like i'm out of the cycle so yea e-mails are a BIG thing to me when thats all I have for info. about my husband!!!! i just think they should have told our guys, then use and then the military not have my TV tell me and then have to brake the bad news to my husband who didn't know! I DO UNDERSTAND that it is the milirary and that its not a PERFECT WORLD, but they should have showed use a little respect and should have told use frist! so yea i'm a little upset so give me a brake!

Well I can't speak for the other wives who aren't there at Lewis right now but I can speak for myself. The last time I even received any type of communication from the FRG was back in October. I've never received a single phone call or email from anyone regarding anything that is going on with the battalion. Therefore I was not surprised to learn about the extension from the internet rather than the FRG. I fully understand why those that are mad at the FRG are mad in the first place. I instructed my husband long ago that if anything was going on he would have to tell me himself because I wouldn't hear it if it wasn't from him. I say THANK YOU to Strykernet.com for helping keep me informed of things that are going on. Ya'll have been a great source of information and I'm so greatful for that. If not for you I would be completely lost.

Seriously!?! I'm sorry but I cannot believe people are actually blaming the FRG. I realize that people are upset by this news but place blame where it belongs. FRG leaders and POCs are VOLUNTEERS. They do not get paid for their service and certainly do not deserve to be bawled out by a pissed off family member. No I am not an FRG leader or POC but I have been in the past and people like that are exactly the reason why I stepped down.

1st, FRG ldrs have soldiers and feelings too so they are going through exactly the same thing you are.

2nd, FRG ldrs have lives of their own and other responsibilities. This news broke in the middle of the day when most people are not tied to the TV or their internet all day long waiting for the news to break so they can push out an email. I know for a fact my company's FRG ldrs were finding out at the EXACT SAME TIME as I was b/c I was IM-ing the information to my POC and she had no clue it was happening.

My guess is EVERYONE in the Brigade (inc FRG and REAR D) was scrambling yesterday trying to get things in order after the news broke. This wasn't some big secret they were trying to keep, there is no conspiracy. This is a result of someone wallowing in their own self-importance and leaking it to the media which then showed no restraint.

And hey if you think you can do better, step up and volunteer to be a POC or take on another FRG position. You might find it's not as easy as it looks when you have to juggle your own life along with everyone elses.

I'm not blaming the FRG for the lack of contact on this extension news. I merely pointed out that the FRG is not making an effort to keep me informed about anything at all, which I wonder if is just because I'm not still in WA. My POC, whom I don't even know, has never contacted me to even check to see if I'm still alive. I thank the RearD guys at battalion for being so helpful when I call. As for the taking up a role as POC, I offered to do that at one point in time but was told that since I wasn't there in the state that I wouldn't be that much use to them.
Again, I offer my thanks and praises for everyone at Strykernews.com for all their hard work in helping keep us Styker families informed.

I feel sorry for all of you who feel betrayed or whatever your feelings are due to this situation, Thanks God you live en Ft. Lewis or close by and you have FRG,POC or some kind of support groups, I live in Florida, I have nobody to talk, nobody who can share my feelings, nobody who understand what I'M going thru,this is hard for everybody, but I really have the feeling that the guys there knew what was coming for them. Now more than ever they need to feel our support,our unity,our love! keep supporting each other, those who have the oportunnity there in Ft. Lewis. The only support that I have is this website that I visit twenty times a day.I can't imagine how hard it is for fiances,wifes and kids, but I can tell you how hard it is for us, parents without any support at all. Thank you to the people here in strykernews for keep us informed, God bless you, and God bless our braves soldiers!

I hate to say it but people aren't going about this the right way. I remember the briefing we went to at Soldier's Chapel before the guy's left they said to the soldiers "you will probably find out what's going on from your wife before we get the information to you ourselves".

And I wasn't referring to any specific person about their attendance to FRG meetings. I was speaking from experience within my own company's FRG.

I personally am not mad at CNN or whoever because they were reporting a press conference that the Sec. of Defense set up. And like I said we were told he reported it like he did because someone was threatening to leak it to the press. So one way or another we were going to have this leaked.

There's nothing we can do about it. We're not the ones in charge of screening people for jobs in the Pentagon. There's no need for us to get mad at one another, take that energy to representatives and congressmen to have things changed. Turn it positive in any way you can.

Getting angry won't change what will transpire over the next five months. And for those who feel they have no one to turn to in the 3/2 .... reach out to some of the people on here. We're all in this together whether we want to be or not.

I don't want to sound preachy but we aren't going to get anywhere by attacking one another. Seriously.

One last thing...I think a few people may not be clear on what the FRG and POC's can tell you when it comes to speculation.

In our POC training paperwork it says

DO

Stick to the facts and avoid hearsay

DON'T

Indulge in gossip or ANY type of information that is not valid or reliable.

UNTIL Sec Gates made this official it was ALL hearsay. Your FRG was ONLY doing the job the way they are told to.

I, too, heard about the extension through the media--on the radio on the way home from a MOMS (Mothers of Military Servicemembers) meeting. Yes, it would have been nice to hear this from someone other than the media, but it was expected and the FRG got the news out to us as soon as they had all the facts! I am a mother of a soldier, living in Indiana, and I receive updates, newsletters and information from the FRG at Ft Lewis, WA! I would like to commend them for their hard work and dedication. Please remember, we are all in the same boat--we are all frustrated, feel helpless and miss our soldiers! Let's not bicker among ourselves, but let's pull together to show support for our soldiers and our volunteers back home! God Bless Our Troops!

ok first i want to say that we should all be in this together and not fighting about who's right and who's wrong. for those of us who are not a ft lewis, it is harder for us to find info, and if the frg isnt sending you info then there is something wrong. maybe you should make contact with anyone in your frg group and make sure that they know you want info... now dont take me wrong im not trying to be rude im just saying that there are options. i have only gone to 1 meeting and when i was there i couldnt go cuz my child was not allowed and she doesnt do daycare. now i dont blame them i understand that kids make noise, and i understand that poc and leaders are under the same stress we are. it was horrible to find out thru the media. it does hurt. youd think that they could control this... if they can control when a lost soldiers name is put out then they should be able to control this. i know that we should be prepared for this but when your hubby tells you every time you talk that his higherups say its not going to happen, its kind of a slap in the face. its the government for crying outloud, they should be better at this than they are. how many times can you do something like this before you get it right. i dont feel betrayed by my frg i feel betrayed by our government. i am praying for all of our soldiers and their families.
being strong and standing by my man!!

After talking with my husband yesterday something hit me. He too heard about the extension via the media yet unlike me he never complained about how he got the news. I feel pretty stupid throwing a two year old fit. When he overthere handled the situation with such strength and grace. Leave it to my hubby to unknowingly check my bruised ego. Its pretty cool that we here in America have the freedom to express our thoughts good, bad or ugly. That is the very freedom our loved ones are fighting for. God Bless our soldiers !!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey ArmyWife1003, I too feel bad for throwing a fit. I was mad at the ones who were complaining. My ego was bruised as well b/c I am part of a great FRG and felt loyal to them. I was mad that FRGs were being blamed for information flow. I have been part of FRGs that are broken as well and I understand the frustration. I apologize for lashing out at you and others. You are right, this is the very freedom our soldiers are fighting for! God Bless America........and our amazing soldiers!

My big gripe is how the army says this will give us more dwell time home, yet I've already been told if I don't Re-Enlist then I will PCS to 5th Brigade and be right back over here in less than a year, for another 15 months.

The least they could do is not mislead the public. This will cause soldiers who choose not to Re-Up to spend even less time home.

I would like to know who to get in touch with on the base at ft. lewis so i can make plans to be there when my son arrives back in about 80 something days. The guys are doing the countdown, every interview. The 17 of june was the last time i even heard from my son, but have seen he has logged on two times, one time he wrote to his father, and we are staying in touch because of the kid, just to assure the other he is still out there....and will be home soon. But it takes a few weeks to make plans, get plane rides as we live in alabama, and to even go to washington state. So please....someone throw me a clue as to how to make reservations to be there, hotel, cabin, whatever is availiable and the ride there! I need information and someone on that base could help me if i knew where to look. Last time i tried the chaplins office they were deployed as well....lol....no forwarding message, its been a few months..but i have to find out before sept what to do, dont i?