Ft. Lewis troops to deploy sooner, might stay longer

President Bush's new war plan is expected to affect thousands of Washington-based military personnel, stepping up the timetable for deployment for some Army soldiers and raising the possibility that others will face longer tours of duty.

The plan places a premium on combat troops, including the Fort Lewis-based soldiers who patrol in eight-wheeled Stryker vehicles in Baghdad.

One Fort Lewis Stryker brigade of 3,800 soldiers now scheduled for an Iraq deployment this summer will be sent there ahead of schedule, according to military officials, who provided no dates. That unit, the 4th Brigade 2nd Infantry Division, would be on its first tour of duty in Iraq.

Another Fort Lewis Stryker brigade already is based in Baghdad, with infantry troops this week involved in a major battle in a Sunni area.

That unit — the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry division — is scheduled for a 12-month stay that would end in June. The deployment could extend if commanders think more combat force is necessary to try to quell violence through summer. Last summer, an Alaska-based Stryker brigade's tour of duty was extended four months as part of an effort to increase troop strength in Baghdad.

But Joe Piek, a Fort Lewis spokesman, said at this point there are no plans to extend the Stryker deployments.

"It's a possibility, but when you look at that Stryker brigade, it is just halfway through the one-year point," Piek said. "I think it's far too premature to talk about any Fort Lewis unit remaining in Iraq longer than planned."

The plan for more troops in Iraq could also affect the Washington National Guard, which, depending on how long the troop increase lasts, could face stepped-up deployment dates.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, about 6,500 of the 8,500 members of the Washington National Guard have deployed overseas.

The biggest National Guard unit is the 81st Brigade, which in early 2005 returned home from 12 months in Iraq. The brigade is scheduled to be called back to active duty in 2009, but soldiers said they have heard some reports that the call-up could come in 2008.

Earlier this week, retired Col. Rick Patterson, a National Guard spokesman, said he had "no information or inkling" of an earlier call-up date.

Washington-based Army reserve units, which typically offer logistical and other support for combat units, also could be affected by the troop increases.

Bush, in his Wednesday speech, said the new plan would have U.S. units working more closely with Iraqis, and give the troops the freedom to secure all areas of Baghdad without political interference from the Iraqi government.

Bush said the plan offered the best hope for stabilizing Iraq. But he acknowledged that it offered no guarantees of success, and that the next year will likely bring more violence and deaths.

The speech left some families of Fort Lewis soldiers hungry for more details.

"The president just did not give a good enough description of what he thought should happen," said Rachel Reese, wife of Staff Sgt. Gaylord Reese, who is deployed in Iraq. "He was very vague. Twenty minutes [of speech] for something we have lost so many lives over; I don't think it's good enough."

Another Stryker brigade wife, Jenny Armstrong, said she was putting her faith in God. "I'm just praying that he [Bush] knows what he is doing," said Armstrong, whose husband, Staff Sgt. Adam Armstrong, is in Iraq. "God is in control, and he will ultimately make this work, if it was meant to be."

During the speech, Bush admitted mistakes have been made in Iraq, and that things have not gone as hoped. That candor won praise from some.

"Nothing has gone the way it was talked about, and I'm glad that is finally coming out," said Katy Wise, whose son, Alex Montalvo, serves with a Fort Lewis brigade.

Wise said she initially supported the war but has been disappointed over the past two years. She said she has not supported putting more U.S. troops in Iraq, but after listening to the president, she'll take a "wait-and-see attitude."

Montalvo, who is home on leave from Baghdad, said troop morale remains high. He welcomed Bush's statements that the brigades would be allowed to pursue insurgents and terrorists without political interference.

"If the president and the Iraqi governments are serious about lifting the restrictions, that would make our mission a lot easier. It could expedite the mission's success."

Hal Bernton: 206-464-2581 or hbernton@seattletimes.com

Robert Burns, military writer for The Associated Press, and Seattle Times researcher David Turim contributed to this report.