# Why aren't they rotating the troops that fought in Iraq? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 30, 2003, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-they-rotating-the-troops-that-fought-in-iraq/178437 "2003-05-30T02:34:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-they-rotating-the-troops-that-fought-in-iraq/178437/1 "2003-05-30T02:34:11Z")
They aren’t replacing them with fresh troops. Anyone know why they aren’t? ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-they-rotating-the-troops-that-fought-in-iraq/178437/2 "2003-05-30T02:57:31Z")
I don’t have a definitive answer, but it may have something to do with NOT running wars like we did in Vietnam. In Vietnam, tours of combat duty were for one year. Contrast this to WWII, for example, when tours were for the duration of the war. In Vietnam, the goal of the vast majority of soldiers on the battlefield was to survive that year. In WWII, the only way to get home in one piece was victory. Recent news accounts have quoted soldiers as stating that their only way home was through Baghdad. Of course, considering that our troops are now in Baghdad, you raise a good question. Another consideration is that, relatively speaking, the troops there really haven’t been there all that long, as wars go. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-they-rotating-the-troops-that-fought-in-iraq/178437/3 "2003-05-30T02:58:25Z")
4th Infantry Division arrived fairly recently, after Baghdad fell. I imagine after they are fully ensconced, the 3rd ID would start home. Takes time to get out. ---
**Author:** ![Fernmeldetruppe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@Fernmeldetruppe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fernmeldetruppe)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-they-rotating-the-troops-that-fought-in-iraq/178437/4 "2003-05-30T03:17:11Z")
1st Armored Division is deploying also. [http://www.1ad.army.mil/stories/Desert/advon.htm](http://www.1ad.army.mil/stories/Desert/advon.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-they-rotating-the-troops-that-fought-in-iraq/178437/5 "2003-05-30T03:20:47Z")
[U.S. will extend GIs stay in Iraq to keep peace Unrest forces Pentagon to keep most of 200,000 troops there](http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/05/29/MN121304.DTL) ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-they-rotating-the-troops-that-fought-in-iraq/178437/6 "2003-05-30T03:21:50Z")
I think they are adding to rather than replacing. ---
**Author:** ![ski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@ski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ski)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-they-rotating-the-troops-that-fought-in-iraq/178437/7 "2003-05-30T11:58:15Z")
The Air Force is starting to rotate people in July. [http://www.af.mil/stories/123004914.shtml](http://www.af.mil/stories/123004914.shtml) It just takes time to do this, as there is not an unlimited supply of people. At least in the USAF many home base missions need to continue despite the war, so HOW to rotate is just as important as WHEN. ---
**Author:** ![Kilt-wearin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kilt-wearin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilt-wearin_man)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-they-rotating-the-troops-that-fought-in-iraq/178437/8 "2003-05-30T14:54:22Z")
Some units are rotating, others don’t seem to be. Probably depends on the situation on the ground and the duties said units are performing.