Another complaint raised by some soldiers was little or no time off — except for two days for Thanksgiving — in the two months spent in the Southwest.

"I've got no problems with tough training and conditions that replicate Iraq," Case said yesterday. "But I think to put troops in barracks at night and tents at night that have no heating at below freezing with inadequate equipment or cold weather gear is frankly far worse than for the most part they (soldiers) find in Iraq."

More than 2,000 Hawai'i Guard soldiers; 700 reservists with the 100 Battalion, 442nd Infantry; and units from California, Oregon and Minnesota that fall under the 29th Separate Infantry Brigade are on two weeks of leave before heading to Fort Polk, La., in early January for combat certification and the Balad area north of Baghdad in Iraq in February and March.

Complaints over poor morale, equipment and training — particularly from a California battalion assigned to the 29th — prompted an informal inquiry from the head of the National Guard. Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum told the Los Angeles Times the soldiers were being prepared "to be successful and survive their mission in Iraq."

It was an assessment shared by Lee.

"I believe the training was just right," Lee said this week. "There have been some comments about long training and all that, but that's how it is (in Iraq)."

Case acknowledged there has been progress: Soldiers recently received basic cold-weather gear, including fleece jackets and overalls.

Responding to Case's letter, Lee said in a reply letter that "there (was) no significant shortage of training ammunition at Fort Bliss (in Texas)."

"Soldiers go through dry fire exercises, and then blank fire exercises before progressing to live fire training," Lee added. "This gradual progression is primarily for safety considerations."

In Iraq, all soldiers have to be prepared to defend themselves, and an emphasis was placed on improving combat skills for traditionally non-combat soldiers, Lee said.

But, Lee said, "We are not trying to make infantrymen out of maintenance support personnel." With the recent arrival of a new family of vehicles, combat training for support personnel was increased over maintenance skills practice.

Case said Lee and Army leadership have been trying their best to prepare the soldiers, and definite progress has been made, but improvements still are required, and he'll be monitoring the combat certification.

Case said it's vital to get "frankly, bluntly honest" assessments of combat readiness at Fort Polk.

"If they are ready, they are ready," Case said. "If they are not ready, let's re-train."

Assuming the brigade passes the combat test, the soldiers will have a last training opportunity in the deserts of Kuwait for possibly several weeks before convoying about 450 miles north into Iraq.