U.S. troops in Iraq have time on hands

[SpartanDem]

Iraq — Pfc. Adrian Vesik heard that war could be hell.

He was happy to discover when he arrived in Iraq earlier this year that his war experience also would include salsa dancing, yoga and martial-arts classes
(snip)
Because of new rules that require Iraqi approval for all U.S. missions, and a general decline in violence nationwide, many of the 117,000 U.S. troops stationed in Iraq say they now have more idle time than at any previous point in the six-year war.

Combat is still a daily reality in some parts of Iraq, and U.S. troops are being killed here at a rate of about one a week.

But for many troops in places such as this large military base in southern Iraq, traditional soldiering such as kicking down doors and searching for roadside bombs has at least partly given way to book clubs, karaoke nights, sports and distance-learning university programs.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2009-10-20-idle-troops-iraq_N.htm

[thereismore]

1. I wouldn't mind if that were true everywhere, for all soldiers. nt

[high density]

2. That sounds like a very positive development to me

I can only hope that Afghanistan is at a similar point in a few years.

[Oregone]

3. Time to browse the black market isnt entirely positive

[dionysus]

6. you have to find the negative in absolutely everything, don't you? jesus christ.

[Oregone]

9. I like water

Sometimes its wet. Thats good and bad I guess.

[Cha]

4. Thanks SpartanDem

for the news!

[Arctic Dave]

5. Hmmm? They pull back to their bases and violence declines.

So, in other words, our presence is what causes most of the violence. Idea, how about we leave all together.

[SpartanDem]

7. Violence was declining before that

[Arctic Dave]

8. That is because we paid them to stop shooting at us while we created the

the worlds largest prison state. Not because we became good friends and homeboys.

[beachmom]

10. USA Today should have dug more. From military families, I have

heard that getting troops AND equipment out of Iraq is an enormous undertaking. It will TAKE away from Afghanistan until it is complete.