How will this affect the unemployment rate? A good deal of the troops are National Guard to my understanding. How could their jobs still be there after all these years? Many of the companies probably don't exist.
How many people are actually there? I can't seem to find the number maybe I'm searching wrong keywords.
Several hundred thousand I presume?

By no means am I implying that they should stay there. This is just something that's been on my mind.

__________________
The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Look up USERRA. As for a prior employer going under, I have no idea. I guess we will find out soon enough. I do know Veterans have great advantages to get CS jobs, so that should help our returning service men and woman.

From the little I've read, the jobless rate among returning vets is higher than the national average. Bringing those there now home should make that worse.

Department of Defense contractors will also be losing their jobs.

And what about all those mercenary types that we hire to do dirty work? Are they leaving Iraq? I haven't heard.

Not sure where you are getting such a high number BUT there are approximately 39,500 troops in Iraq at this time.

Iraq: By the numbers - Political Hotsheet - CBS News

To touch on your comment about after all of these years and how could their jobs still be waiting for them. You do realize that they have been HOME at some point in the last eight years? The same troops have not been there the entire time. And please know that I was not being snarky at you BUT I had someone tell me today that it would be nice for the troops to come home this year BECAUSE they have been gone for YEARS. I asked if they meant troops in general had been over there for years. They truly believed that the SAME ones had been there for the last eight years. <shaking my head>


I saw someone else comment about the DOD contractors and found this as I was digging around for the number of troops:

Bloomberg news reported that this "newly established office will have a core staff of 160 civilians and uniformed military alongside 750 civilian contractors overseeing Pentagon assistance programmes, including military training. They will be guarded, fed and housed by 3,500 additional contract personnel", working in 10 offices around the country .

The US departure from Iraq is an illusion | James Denselow | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

Thanks for the update Littlewolf. That thought popped into my head and I haven't had the time to look for an answer.

I do realize they have been home at times. However the people I know who are serving only come home for several weeks at a time and I know of none that go back to their job when they are home. Granted I only know about 5 people so that is not representative of everyone.

So are you saying they come home, go to their jobs, and the jobs will still be here for them? That surprises me.

__________________
The political system is broke and it's a joke.

I seem to remember that there was a huge outcry when the guard troops came back home and didn't have their old jobs waiting. I am not sure that it is a law now but it was my understanding that their jobs would be waiting. I may be wrong but that is what I thought.

__________________
GO NAVY WRESTLING!!BEAT ARMY!!!
RJB 3/18/60 - 5/22/04
We miss you, sweet brother
God Bless the USA!!!!! Praying for my Youngster son at United States Naval Academy, class of 2014!!

http://mylifeundertheabaya.blogspot.com/

annadrose, not knowing the situation for the five people that you know there, I cannot answer your question. I am surprised to read though that they are only home for several weeks at a time. I am more familiar with the Active Duty Army part of the military and even they are home for longer than several weeks at a time between deployments. I do know of some DOD contractors that only come home for the length of time required by the government and then they head back over there.

And to answer your other questions, YES, the jobs are still supposed to be there for them in some manner. Look up the information that nightowlrn mentioned earlier and that will explain a lot of it to you.

I just went to the site and read the into. It is the law so hopefully it will work out for all of them. Thanks for the USERRA site info. It has a lot of interesting information.

__________________
The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Here is another site that gives you information about your question:

CIS: Veterans' Guide to Benefits - Rights of Guard and Reserve Members Called-Up

Reemployment rights: If you are called up to active duty, from either the public or the private sector, you are guaranteed your job and additional rights when you return to your job, under the Uniformed Service Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, (USERRA), Title 38 of the U.S. Code of 4301. So long as before activation you give advance notice to the employer, you are not gone for more than five years, you receive an honorable or general discharge, and you promptly return to work, you are protected. Essentially USERRA provides that you have the same job and benefits as when you left. It is as though you never left. For more information, please see Protections for Reserve/Guard and active duty military in the Education Section or: elaws - USERRA Advisor.

This is dated March 2010, but I suspect not much has changed.

GI bill of goods: Recession dries up job expectations for returning vets | cleveland.com

I deeply and sincerely hope it all works out fine with our troops afterall they have done for our country and to put their lives on the line, they deserve to be taken care of for sure.. Peace till our troops come home....Catherine

That's what I was worried about. Thanks for the article.

__________________
The political system is broke and it's a joke.