Mississippi troops are refused leave to help families--w can't spare them

[mopaul]

Mississippi troops are refused leave to help families

By Ellen Knickmeyer

The Washington Post


Scores of Mississippi National Guard troops in Iraq who lost their homes to Hurricane Katrina have been refused even 15-day leaves to aid their displaced families, told by commanders that there were too few U.S. troops in Iraq to spare them, according to members of the Mississippi Guard.

About 600 members of the Mississippi Guard's 155th Brigade Combat Team, posted south of Baghdad in the area known as the "Triangle of Death" for the frequency of insurgent attacks, live in the parts of southern Mississippi and southeast Louisiana hit hardest by Katrina, Maj. Neil F. Murphy Jr., a spokesman with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, said by e-mail Saturday. The brigade is attached to the Expeditionary Force.

Guard members and relatives said in e-mail or telephone interviews that virtually all the approximately 300 soldiers of 155th Brigade's B and C companies had their homes destroyed or severely damaged in the hurricane.

[annabanana]

1. surely there are some young Republicans who are

clamoring, CLAMORING to go in and sub for them?

[acmejack]

2. They're all for sending some more poor people to take care of it!

Their stance on fighting is exemplified by the cadre of chickenhawks. Isn't it strange that those who have fought hate war so, but those who glorify it from the sidelines have managed to evade any participation (other than the profiteering, that is).

[Karenina]

10. Recruiters in the Astrodome.

[jody]

3. Shame on the troops, "In Iraq, it's hard work. You know it's hard work"

as * said, President's Remarks at Victory 2004 Rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania
:sarcasm:

[Missy M]

4. I think we are in trouble if we can't spare 600 soldiers in Iraq....

now is the time to bring them all home.

[oblivious]

5. Lord that's sad. What a feeling of helplessness for them.

Not even allowed to go home to defend their families. Just the thing they signed up to do I suppose.

Fighting a losing war for oil instead. Geez.

[malaise]

6. Mutiny time

this is damn madness - the illegal war is a pack of lies.

[RedRocco]

7. *

is probably afraid of mutiny if they come home and find out just what they are fighting for. afraid of troops coming home to find out that the federal government failed their friends and families.

[CanOfWhoopAss]

8. afraid they won't go back to Iraq

[CanOfWhoopAss]

9. better than 1/2 of Miss Troops voted for the Chimp I bet. They got him.

I bet those that voted for him, blame the military for not sending them home. It's not Monkey Boy's fault it's the army's fault. Monkey boy is afraid the rest of them won't go back to Iraq once he takes them out.

[pitohui]

11. oh my god

they have no heart & no soul