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1,600 Soldiers to stay in theater for transition

Army News Service

Release Date: 1/15/2004

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Army News Service, Jan. 15, 2004) - The Department of Defense has approved the extension of selected Army units past their 12-month "boots on the ground" time in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

The extensions are for 12 units, affecting approximately 1,600 Soldiers of about 130,000 currently deployed. The time extended will vary by unit, between five and 60 days.

The Department of Defense is committed to supporting the combatant commander and his mission while balancing the need to take care of Soldiers, their families and communities.

"We are entering the most challenging period for our Army since World War II,'' said Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, Army chief of staff, in a message to the extended Soldiers. "As we deploy and redeploy nearly one quarter of a million Soldiers over the next four months, we all will be required to make sacrifices to ensure that we safely and successfully accomplish the mission.

"Soldiers contributions to Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and other expeditionary operations have been critical to our nation successes and to keeping the American people safe.

"We are Warriors, and that entails a special ethos: I will always place the mission first, I will never accept defeat, I will never quit, and I will never leave a fallen comrade.

When our nation calls upon us we have to be motivated by things that come from deep in our souls. It is called service for a reason. It is about giving more than you get. It is about duty. It is about sacrificing for the good of the whole.

"We are committed to not having you stay in country one day longer than necessary. Our Army has worked hard to reduce the number of units and Soldiers required to make this sacrifice. What you are doing is critical to mission success and we are grateful for your continued commitment to our nation's security and remain dedicated to each and every Soldier.

"You and your families need to know that we have done everything possible in order not to extend you. For the few units being extended, there are no other alternatives.

"Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do for our great nation and may God bless you, your families, the Army and the United States."

Extensions will be handled on a case-by-case basis, so no effective dates have been announced. Officials also are not publicly identifying units likely to be extended, but said they have unique skills and provide important capabilities to the combatant commander. They stressed that every effort will be made to keep extensions as short as possible.