Minnesota Guard sending 1,000 to Iraq early next year

[struggle4progress]

By MARK BRUNSWICK, Star Tribune
Last update: December 11, 2008 - 11:42 AM

The Minnesota National Guard will announce today that more than 1,000 troops will be deployed to Iraq early next year, with the Guard's 34th Infantry Division taking over command of 16,000 coalition forces in eight of Iraq's 18 provinces ...

The Minnesota group will operate in the southern third of Iraq and will have a direct partnership with Iraqi forces, which include the Iraqi Army, National Police and Department of Border enforcement. The 1,037 Minnesota soldiers will be headquartered at Camp Victory, outside Baghdad, and are expected to arrive in Iraq in April after training at Fort Lewis, Wash. They are expected to return in April 2010 ...

http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/35938179.html?elr=KArksc8P:Pc:UthPacyPE7iUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU

[jwirr]

1. One family member already in Afghanistan and another going in

this group. I pray that we get ourselves out of both places as soon as possible. I do not want to attend a military funeral.

[struggle4progress]

2. Lots of us don't want you to have any funerals to attend

It's time for a concerted push for an end to this nonsense

[jwirr]

3. Definitely. Once Obama is in we need to start pushing for the end.