Bush Pentagon to Troops: Fight Until You Die

Since the start of the Iraq War many American soldiers have done multiple tours, a break from tradition. Now the administration wants to screw-over the troops even more:

While the President announced his plan to send more troops to Iraq, National Guardsmen and reservists learned that the rules about how often they can be sent to war are changing. The bottom line: They may be sent to war more often but for shorter tours.[...]Pentagon policy is to give Guardsmen five years off after a deployment. But Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said he may not stick to that policy. "Today's global demands will require a number of selected Guard and reserve units to be remobilized sooner," Gates told a White House news conference.

A Pentagon spokesman went further. "The goal (five years between deployments) will not be met. … It's a temporary situation," said Bryan Whitman. To soften the blow of being sent to war more often, the Pentagon announced two other changes. First, rather than being called up to duty for as long as two years, Guardsmen and reservists will be activated for only one year. And if they are called up before their five years between deployments, they will get extra pay.

Already there is outrage over the extended tours:

New Jersey Army National Guard troops currently in Iraq will be staying an extra 125 days as part of President Bush's new policy to send more troops to the region, news that was met by anger from political leaders and disappointment from the troops' families.