Troopers learned about their extension from their family

With Bush's "augmentation" (that's the exact word Rice used in Senate) of the Iraq war, the tours of NJ Army National Guards are extended by 4 months. And you know how they learned about this fact? They heard it from their family, and many of them didn't even believe it.

"I spoke to my son this morning and he said, 'Mom, we don't know nothing. These are just rumors. I'm coming home in March,' " said Rosa Rosado, 42, of Newark, whose son Joseph Rosado, 24, is serving in Iraq. "Just to think, he has to go four more months and put his life on the line, and they are not even letting him know."

Instead of coming home in March or April, members of the 117th Reconnaissance Surveillance Target Acquisition unit and the 250th Brigade Support Battalion will now be coming home in July or August after their tours were extended by 125 days.

The extension is part of efforts by President Bush to send about 21,500 more troops into Iraq to help control the ever-increasing sectarian violence.

Can't believe it. If I were the son I probably woouldn't believe my mom, but, hey, it's really happening. What the hell is that having their family to deliver the decision made by the commander-in-chief?