I wonder how many of us realize that we still have troops in Iraq. I also wonder how many of us realize what President Bush and the Pentagon have in store for them.

My twin brother, a Penn State senior, is an Army Reservist currently serving in Iraq. He was activated in February and was told he'd be home in August. In August he was told he'd be home in November. Now that November is almost upon us, President Bush and the Pentagon are trying to extend all reservists tours of duty for another six months, meaning that my brother won't be home until April.

In the meantime, his 93-year-old grandmother is on her deathbed. He'll miss the holidays and our birthday. He missed his best friend's wedding and my graduation. He should have graduated in December, but now that'll have to wait a year and a half. One of his fellow brothers in arms has yet to see his newborn daughter. Weeks go by when we don't talk to him. Every day another soldier dies and every day my family panics until we find out that it's not him.

Ideologies aside, our troops deserve to come home. They deserve to see their families. They deserve to be sent home when they were promised to be sent home.

Please keep our troops in your thoughts. Please write to your elected representatives and tell them that you want our troops rotated out of Iraq. We live in federal republic. We are still a democracy. I have to believe that if enough people speak out that we'll eventually be heard.