US troops being removed from Iraq by end of year

[Phoenix Dark]

Hussein Obama is telling the enemy exactly when troops are leaving.

(CNN) -- President Barack Obama said Friday that America's long war in Iraq will end by the end of the year and announced that almost all U.S. troops will come home.

"After nearly nine years, America's war in Iraqi will be over," Obama said. "The coming months will be a season of homecomings. Our troops in Iraq will definitely be home for the holidays."

Of the 39,000 troops in Iraq, only about 150, a negligible force, will remain to assist in arms sales.

Obama said the end of the war was a campaign pledge he has made good on.

The new partnership with Iraq will be "strong and enduring," Obama said.

A current Status of Force Agreement called for U.S. forces to leave Iraq by the end of 2011 but lengthy negotiations had given rise to the expectation that an American presence would continue beyond that date.

The United States had expected that some of the roughly 40,000 Americans in Iraq would remain there to aid in training and security.

But the talks broke down over the prickly issue of legal immunity for U.S. troops in Iraq, a senior U.S. military official with direct knowledge of the discussions told CNN this month.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and other top brass have repeatedly said that any deal to keep U.S. troops in Iraq beyond the withdrawal deadline would require a guarantee of legal protection for American soldiers.

But the Iraqis refused to agree to that, opening up the prospect of Americans being tried in Iraqi courts and subjected to Iraqi punishment.

The negotiations were strained following WikiLeaks' release of a diplomatic cable that alleged Iraqi civilians, including children, were killed in a 2006 raid by American troops rather than in an airstrike as initially reported by the U.S. military.

U.S. troops have already started the drawdown: A brigade from Fort Bliss, Texas, that was originally scheduled to be among the very last to leave Iraq was being pulled out of the country months ahead of its planned departure, military officials said last week.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/21/world/meast/iraq-us-troops/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

So will republicans pledge to send troops back to achieve victory?

[Mupepe]

 

[Robo]

So will republicans pledge to send troops back to achieve victory?

What good is it to pull out when you've already creampied?

[Diunx]

Will they fix the mess they did before leaving?

[Mupepe]

Your pueblo is next, Diunx

[Diunx]

They already tried and failed...twice 

[Brehvolution]

 

[Mupepe]

They already tried and failed...twice 

Yeah but that was the 20's and 60's (IIRC).  We've evolved, dammit!

Edit: Wait, a better answer would have been third time's a charm. 

[Human Snorenado]

The terrorists have won.

[FatalT]

Perfect time to enlist!

[Human Snorenado]

Perfect time to enlist!

Yeah, you'll be done w/ basic training by the time the next Republican President is being sworn in and invading Iran!

[FatalT]

Perfect time to enlist!

Yeah, you'll be done w/ basic training by the time the next Republican President is being sworn in and invading Iran!

It's a better alternative than suicide.

[Diunx]

You won't be saying that when some Arab bear is playing with your captured white ass.

[FatalT]

You won't be saying that when some Arab bear is playing with your captured white ass.

Now demi is going to enlist. LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE.

[Phoenix Dark]

Perfect time to enlist!

Based on what my friends in the military have said...I'd rather serve in Iraq than Afghanistan any day of the week.

[rodi]

Good.

[FatalT]

Going to talk to my local recruiter today.

[drew]

I hope your kidding, if you think that the US is done playing war games you have an unpleasant surprise in your future

[FatalT]

I hope your kidding, if you think that the US is done playing war games you have an unpleasant surprise in your future

This is not the reason for that. If you'd like to know more, PM me.

[FatalT]

Which branch(es) are you considering, FatalT?  I've been in two of them if you have any questions.  Recruiters lie; nearly everyone I know has been lied to by a recruiter. 

Air Force. I'd like to get into either a Operations, Logistics, or Support AFS. I'll definitely be getting anything the recruiter says to me put in a contract if I do go this route. The Air Force recruiter is only there Monday through Friday 9-5 so I'll go there Monday. I called him and left a voicemail though.

I have an interest in any one of these:

Operations

    1A - Aircrew Operations
        1A1X1 - Flight Engineer
        1A3X1 - Airborne Mission Systems
        1A4X1 - Airborne Battle Management Systems
        1A8X1 - Airborne Cryptologic Language Analyst
        1A8X2 - Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Operator
    1B - Cyberspace Defense
        1B4X1 - Cyberspace Defense
    1C - Command and Control Systems Operations
        1C0X2 - Aviation Resource Management
        1C1X1 - Air Traffic Control
        1C3X1 - Command Post
        1C6X1 - Space Systems Operations
        1C7X1 - Airfield Management
    1N - Intelligence
        1N0X1 - Operations Intelligence
        1N1X1 - Geospatial Intelligence
        1N2X1 - Signals Intelligence Analysis
        1N3X1 - Cryptologic Language Analyst
        1N4X1 - Network Intelligence Analysis
    Unmanned Aerospace System (UAS)
        1U0X1 - Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) Sensor Operator


Maintenance/Logistics

    2A - Aerospace Maintenance
        2A0X1 - Avionics Test Station and Components
        2A3X1 - A-10, F-15, & U-2 Avionics Systems
        2A3X2 - Integrated Avionics Systems (Attack/Special)
        2A3X3 - Tactical Aircraft Maintenance
        2A5X1 - Aerospace Maintenance
        2A5X2 - Helicopter/Tiltrotor Maintenance
        2A5X3 - Integrated Avionics Systems (Heavy)
        2A6X1 - Aerospace Propulsion
        2A6X2 - Aerospace Ground Equipment (AGE)
        2A6X3 - Aircrew Egress Systems
        2A6X4 - Aircraft Fuel Systems
        2A6X5 - Aircraft Hydraulic Systems
        2A6X6 - Aircraft Electrical and Environmental Systems
        2A7X1 - Aircraft Metals Technology
        2A7X2 - Nondestructive Inspection (NDI)
        2A7X3 - Aircraft Structural Maintenance
        2A7X5 - Low Observable Aircraft Structural Maintenance
    Fuels
        2F - Fuels
    Logistics Plans
        2G - Logistics Plans
    Missile Maintenance
        2M0X1 - Missile and Space Systems Electronics Maintenance
        2M0X2 - Missile and Space Systems Maintenance
        2M0X3 - Missile and Space Facilities
    Precision Measurement
        2P - Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratory
    Maintenance Management
        2R0X1 - Maintenance Management Analysis
        2R1X1 - Maintenance Management Production
    Material Management
        2S - Material Management
    Munitions & Weapons
        2W0X1 - Munitions Systems
        2W1X1 - Aircraft Armament Systems
        2W2X1 - Nuclear Weapons

Support

    3D - Cyberspace Support
        3D0X1 - Knowledge Operations Management
        3D0X2 - Cyber Systems Operations
        3D0X3 - Cyber Surety (IA and COMSEC)
        3D0X4 - Computer Systems Programming
        3D1X1 - Client Systems
        3D1X2 - Cyber Transport Systems
        3D1X3 - RF Transmission Systems
        3D1X4 - Spectrum Operations
        3D1X5 - Ground Radar Systems
        3D1X6 - Airfield Systems
        3D1X7 - Cable and Antenna Systems
    3E - Civil Engineering
        3E0X1 - Electrical Systems
        3E0X2 - Electrical Power Production
        3E3X1 - Structural
        3E5X1 - Engineering
        3E6X1 - Operations Management
    Public Affairs
        3N0X1 - Public Affairs
        3N0X2 - Broadcast Journalist
        3N0X4 - Still Photography
    Security Forces
        3P - Security Forces

[drew]

I'll definitely be getting anything the recruiter says to me put in a contract if I do go this route.

came in here to say this, i drank with an army recruiter this past year and that was one of the biggest points he tried to get across

[FatalT]

I was in the Air Force four years.  That's a long list of completely different interests.  What attracts you to the Air Force?  What do you imagine yourself doing?

More specifically:

MAINTENANCE & LOGISTICS

    2A - Manned Aerospace Maintenance

    2M - Missile & Space Systems Maintenance

    2T - Transportation & Vehicle Maintenance

    2W - Munitions & Weapons

The previous AFSC's I listed were just ones I had a vague interest in. I'd really like to get into something with engineering. I'd love to work on aircraft and vehicles so I could learn more about them. I've read that on the totem pole, the Air Force is the second lowest (above the Navy) when it comes to being involved in combat. I've always had an interest in the military but never had a REAL opportunity to enlist because I was going off to college after High School. Unfortunately it seems as though I've screwed that up so now the opportunity has presented itself. I imagine myself being shit on all the time while I learn engineering skills that would give me experience for a civilian job after getting out. If I like it enough, I'd consider the military as a career.

[T234]

I wish you well, FatalT.

[FatalT]

Yikes, I don't think any of those career fields do any sort of engineering.  You might have to aim lower.  If you just want to be a mechanic, that's a little more realistic.  Do you want to replace parts and tighten bolts or would you rather do something more computer-oriented?

Probably more computer-oriented since I'm more familiar with that aspect of engineering. I know absolutely ZERO about the "manual labor" part but that's what I was hoping to learn about.

[FatalT]

It's kind of an either/or type thing in most cases.  If you are ready for a life of getting your hands dirty then straight aircraft or vehicle maintenance is the way to go.  If you think you're smarter than that, you might want to stick to avionics or electrical systems.  In your case, I think a good rule of thumb would be the higher the required ASVAB score, the better off you'll be.

Sounds good! I'll check back for more advice after I talk to the Recruiter.

[Oblivion]

But the troop presence in Iraq was the only thing keeping Saddam from coming back to life.