Combat Operations Are Over In Iraq; Combat Pay Is Not

The Times has an interesting detail from Sec Def Gates' visit to Iraq:

One soldier did ask if the end of combat operations meant the end of extra combat pay. Mr. Gates said that as far as he was concerned, combat pay still applied in Iraq, where troops are still being killed by homemade bombs, sniper fire and mortar attacks.

Fred Kaplan pans the "strange muddle" delivered by Obama.  Bill Kristol figures that it was a fair effort from an anti-war President.

Comments

[Danube of Thought]

The continuation of combat pay really means nothing. Generally it is awarded any time you're in an area where there's any possibility of getting shot at.

[Clarice]

Exactly. Foreign embassy personnel stationed in DC probably still get tropical pay add ons even though everything in the city has long been air conditioned and we aren't in the tropics.

[MarkO]

I deserve combat pay for reading anything by andril or bubu. So, I don't.

[anduril]

Wonderful Lede from the Telegraph:

Tony Blair memoirs: we must be prepared for attack on Iran.

The international community has to be prepared to take military action against Iran if the regime develops a nuclear weapon, Tony Blair has said in an interview to promote his memoirs, A Journey.

"We" must be prepeared? The "international community" has to be prepared? Who's this "we"? Who's this "international community"?

[BB Key]

OT
Saw this at Instapundit this morning:

Katrina and the myth of superlative reporting

Media Myth Alert a blog by Prof Joseph Campbell
communications prof at American University and author of a book Getting it Wrong

[jimmyk]

Who's this "we"? Who's this "international community"?

As you well know, anduril, it's the international Jewish conspiracy.

[narciso]

That was unexpected, just like the Spanish inquisition, Jimmy

[Jack is Back!]

I have been reading The Telly on my kindle and Blair's autobio is front page. In fact, all of the front page (except for Matt) is devoted to Blair's revelations. I like him a lot now that I know he likes a gin and tonic before supper and a few wines during his meal. A man after my own heart. Did you all see where drinkers live longer than non-drinkers:)

Biggest push on the Blair memoirs is concerning the Labor leadership election which starts tomorrow. He has come out firmly for David Miliband over David's brother Ed who has Lord Kinnock (you know Joe Biden's savant) backing. It is classical New Labour versus Radical to the barricades Labour.

Also, he reveals that Gordon Brown tried to bribe him - actually he did bribe him but Blair didn't pay up, so Brown sic'd the Ethics police on to him in the "honours for pay" scandal. That reminds me why I am so glad our founding fathers decided to reject a parliamentary form of government designed after England's. Can you imagine guys like Charlie Rangel leaving the lower house for the house of Lord's even after he would have had to resign? Lord Rangel of Harlem and Santo Domingo does have a ring to it.

[Neo]

Looks like the folks over at the Discovery Channel will be in line for "combat pay."

http://savetheplanetprotest.com/

[sbw]

Brit Blog dude's Spanish quote: “To forget an insult is the greatest revenge.”

I forget what Brit Blog Dude said.

[Richard]

Actually if you leave 50,000 troops that are combat ready, Combat aint over yet. Iraq will be the new deployment arena for the Army and the Marine Corps for years to come. MEU's will now longer float in the OCEAN and see the various countries, they will go into the Persian Gulf and do "Gator Squares" or disembark in Iraq for Months at a time. The Army will for sure deploy Bn's there. Also, the MC will do UDP's (Unit Deployment Program) to Iraq. A grunt Bn will spend its whole 7th Month deployment in Iraq.
The Middle East and actually starting from about Mid Indian Ocean to Mid Africa has always been and imminent danger zone/tax free area so nothing has actually changed or will it.