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US Military offers vacations to troops in Iraq
Washington, Sept 28: Gearing up for a long deployment in Iraq, the US Military this week began offering `vacations` to troops stationed in the country for long periods.
Washington, Sept 28: Gearing up for a long deployment in Iraq, the US Military this week began offering "vacations" to troops stationed in the country for long periods.
The "rest and recreation" opportunity is being offered
for the first time since the Vietnam war.
It applies to soldiers who received their orders at least a year ago and aims to ease the tedium, frustration and hardship of a seemingly open-ended deployment in an alien and often hostile environment.
"A military lives for 'mission accomplished,'" explained Nasser, a Marine reservist who recently returned from Iraq and did not want his last name in the press. "When you're asked to stay longer, it becomes frustrating, especially if there's no specific timeframe."
While American soldiers continue to be targets of almost daily attacks in Iraq, their deployment orders have gradually lengthened.
And at the beginning of September, the Pentagon decided to prolong their tours to up to a year, for both reservists and active duty personnel.
But families that have been showing increasing impatience over these last weeks warn that one year can be easily stretched to 18 months.
Reservists had been training for months before their departure and must go through a demobilization period before they are able to return home.
Bureau Report
It applies to soldiers who received their orders at least a year ago and aims to ease the tedium, frustration and hardship of a seemingly open-ended deployment in an alien and often hostile environment.
"A military lives for 'mission accomplished,'" explained Nasser, a Marine reservist who recently returned from Iraq and did not want his last name in the press. "When you're asked to stay longer, it becomes frustrating, especially if there's no specific timeframe."
While American soldiers continue to be targets of almost daily attacks in Iraq, their deployment orders have gradually lengthened.
And at the beginning of September, the Pentagon decided to prolong their tours to up to a year, for both reservists and active duty personnel.
But families that have been showing increasing impatience over these last weeks warn that one year can be easily stretched to 18 months.
Reservists had been training for months before their departure and must go through a demobilization period before they are able to return home.
Bureau Report