The American military presence in Iraq will grow by nearly 12,000 troops by next month, to 150,000...

The Pentagon is doing this mainly by ordering about 10,400 soldiers and marines in Iraq to extend their tours - in some cases for the second time - for up to two months, even as their replacement units begin to arrive....

By extending the tours of some 8,000 soldiers from two brigades, the Army is risking problems with morale and retention by breaking its pledge to keep troops on the ground in Iraq for no more than 12 months, some commanders and military experts said.

--New York Times today

Do I think these soldiers and marines are getting shafted? Yeah -- up to a point I do. The government is going back on its word -- but hey, why shouldn't it?

Remember this, from October?

America’s military service men and women and their families ... like George W. Bush much more than the civilian population does [and] support the war in Iraq more strongly ..., the University of Pennsylvania’s National Annenberg Election Survey shows.

...Sixty-nine percent had a favorable opinion of Bush and 23 percent an unfavorable opinion. But only 29 percent had a favorable opinion of Kerry, while 54 percent were unfavorable....

When asked whom they would trust more to handle the responsibility of commander-in-chief, 69 percent of the military sample preferred Bush to 24 percent for Kerry....

One consistent Bush disadvantage with the general public, being considered “reckless,” turned against Kerry in the military. Forty-seven percent of the military sample said the term fit Kerry better, while 37 percent chose Bush. In the general public, 46 percent said the term fit Bush better, while 30 percent chose Kerry....

I really, really don't want to bash the troops. I loathe the people who started this war; I admire the bravery of the people fighting it. But at a certain point I find myself thinking, Well, you helped bring this on yourself. The vast majority of you support Bush, and the vast majority of you have contempt for John Kerry and others who've criticized Bush's Iraq policy. You find Bush trustworthy, even though he clearly isn't a man of his word. Your guy won, and this is what you get. I hope it's what you wanted.