Over 35,000 troops get Iraq orders

?Just to think that they are going to be gone for two Christmases now, instead of one,? said Kimberly Carroll, who assists families of soldiers in the division?s 1st Brigade.

According to the Army, combat brigades would deploy for up to 15 months.

The 101st Division?s 1st, 2nd and 3rd Brigades were among 10 brigades told to be ready to head to Iraq beginning this fall. In all, the orders involve more than 35,000 soldiers and Marines.

This would be the third deployment for the three 101st Airborne brigades. Their previous stints in Iraq lasted one year each. With high retention rates within the ranks, this would be the third deployment for many Fort Campbell soldiers.

The three Fort Campbell brigades have been back since last fall.

Some family members mentioned the turnaround for soldiers facing a return to Iraq, said Carroll, an Army wife whose husband had one stint in Iraq with another brigade.

?It?s more of, ?Wow, we knew it was coming, but it seemed like that year just wasn?t long enough for them to be here,?? said Carroll, who serves as a family readiness support assistant for the 1st Brigade. ?So I think they’re feeling a little bit disappointed.?

She said she hadn?t heard any frustration about the mission from military families. They are focused on preparing themselves mentally for the next deployment.

?It?s a somber mood of, ?Here we go again,?? she said.

The deployment orders, signed by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, would allow commanders to maintain the ongoing troop buildup through year’s end if needed. Earlier this year, President Bush ordered nearly 30,000 extra troops to Iraq to defuse violence in and around Baghdad.