Troops in Iraq are in for the long haul

In this era of modern warfare, Americans have become accustomed to a quick incursion in some instances and bogged-down, no-end-in-sight fighting in other cases.

By and large, the world looks to the United States for leadership not because of this country's politics, but because of its military might and its history of using force in ways that are intended to produce long-lasting, positive results.

Today's all-volunteer military has become accustomed to short-term commitments to perilous duty assignments. Reserve troops have endured call-ups that have lasted only a few weeks or a few months.

Now, it seems, a good many American soldiers are learning for the first time that a one-year rotation in Iraq will last a full year.

Some of the troops, based on recent experience, had hoped their one-year duty assignments would be much shorter and they would get to return to family and home in short order. Some soldiers currently serving in Iraq said they didn't know they were likely to stay a whole year.

Any doubt was removed last week when the military brass announced that one-year assignments were just that: one year. This was a disappointment for some soldiers, but even more so for their families and loved ones back home.

Iraq is going to require the stabilizing presence of U.S.-led coalition forces for quite some time. While the battles for control and the effort to remove Saddam Hussein from power have ended successfully, the rebuilding of the war-torn nation and the establishment of a functioning government will take months.

This has been the case from the beginning. But the expectations of many Americans, as well as troops serving in Iraq, have become attuned to shorter periods of involvement. The American public, along with those troops in Iraq, were told this war and its aftermath might take a long time. But people tend to hear what they want. As a result, many soldiers and their families placed their hopes for an early return above the reality of the situation.

Iraq duty is different than most anything U.S. troops have ever been involved in. The country's climate, language, customs, religion and infrastructure are unlike anything Americans are accustomed to. The searing heat of the Iraqi summer makes August in Missouri seem temperate by comparison.

But the military is aware of the staying power of its troops. Better food, more air conditioning and improved access to TV and the Internet are among the efforts being made. Some soldiers are getting R&R breaks in places like Qatar. And mid-tour breaks of 14 days of leave are planned for soldiers who have been in the country for several months of their one-year tour.

The business of war isn't always pleasant. But the troops who are stationed in Iraq will one day be able to reflect on their experience liberating people from tyranny and contributing to world stability.