If one were to bother to read
The Actual Article from which the misleading blog excerpt heading this topic was lifted, one would find this:
Quote: ... Army officials say the two brigades will be as ready as any others that deploy to Iraq, even though they will not have the benefit of training in counterinsurgency tactics at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., which has been outfitted to simulate conditions in Iraq for units that are heading there on yearlong tours.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said Monday she is concerned about the "less-than-ideal training situation" for the 4th Stryker Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division, which is based in her state and is one of the two brigades that did its final training at home. That brigade is to go to Iraq in April, one month earlier than planned.
The other is the 2nd Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division, based at Fort Stewart, Ga., which is due to go in May for its third combat tour since the war began in 2003. Instead of going to the National Training Center first, it imported personnel and equipment - even Toyota pickups like those used by Iraqi insurgents - from the training center at Fort Irwin for two weeks of final rehearsals that begin Wednesday.
A spokesman for the brigade, Lt. Col. Randy Martin, said the soldiers lose nothing by the switch, while shaving about two weeks off their pre-deployment training schedule.
"It's realistic training," he said. "I don't think that anyone would say readiness is affected" negatively. He noted that another brigade from his division underwent similar home-station training before it deployed in January.
... On a visit to the brigade's home station at Fort Lewis last week, Murray asked the top commander there, Lt. Gen. James Dubik, whether the soldiers' preparation for Iraq was adequate without going to the National Training Center, according to a Fort Lewis spokesman, Lt. Col. Dan Williams, who said he attended Dubik's meeting with Murray.
Dubik assured her it was, William said. The general told her he was confident "that they were ready to go" to Iraq even if they had not had 1,300 soldiers imported from the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk to play the role of Iraqi insurgents and civilians and to observe and control the mission rehearsal exercise.
"They went through all the things they know they're going to do in Iraq," Williams said ...
So, whatchya got here is hysteria-via-misinformation. First, its nothing new, and, as in prior similar circumstance, the units mentioned (one of which already has been to Iraq twice, consequently having a very experienced NCO and Officer cadre) are receiving the relevant training, just without undergoing the additional time away from home (and, incidentally, additional taxpayer expense) that would have been component to transporting them to and from the Fort Irwin Desert Training Center.
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