A few days ago we heard about an email from a friend of a friend, stationed in Iraq. For obvious reasons we can't identify the soldier. He's Army and he's in what was called, until the Obama administration officially declared an end to Operation Iraqi Freedom combat operations, a Heavy Brigade Combat Team.
Read on to see what he says was an almost magical change as the "last" combat troops pulled out late last month:
"The reason I'm sending this out is because I have had a few people ask if I left Iraq early because all of the combat troops are out of Iraq and I wanted to let everyone know the real deal.Take our Brigade for example. We were originally called a HBCT (Heavy Brigade Combat Team). Well, since Obama said he would pull all of the "combat" troops out by Aug, all they did before we left was change our name from a HBCT to an AAB (Advise and Assist Brigade). We have the same personnel/equipment layout as before and are doing the same missions. The ONLY difference is that they changed our name from a HBCT to an AAB and that's how we pulled all of the 'combat' troops out.
There are other Brigades just like ours that are doing the same missions that are still over here. So anyway now you know the REAL story, so that's why I'm not coming back early."
The politics of all this are really irrelevant since Americans troops are still in Iraq. We wanted to make sure you heard the voice of someone authentic -- not someone facing election.
