By Roger McKinney

rmckinney@joplinglobe.com

A Missouri lawmaker, a veteran and a current soldier say a plan to withdraw most combat troops from Iraq within 18 months is workable, if that is what President Obama announces.

A Kansas lawmaker is taking a wait-to-see approach.

The Associated Press reported that Obama plans to remove most combat troops from Iraq by August 2010, though a military presence of as many as 50,000 support troops may remain. The United States and Iraq have an agreement that no U.S. troops will remain after December 2011. The AP report cited unidentified sources within the administration, adding that the announcement may come Friday.

A Pentagon spokesman on Wednesday told the AP that some of the remaining support troops will take part in counterterrorism operations that may include combat.

John Marshall, a Joplin veteran of the Iraq war, said he supports the decision, with reservations.

“I’m happy to hear that we’re actually going to start pulling troops out of Iraq and bring them home where they belong,” Marshall said.

He said he thinks the military has accomplished its job, but added that he worries about conditions in Iraq worsening if there is no U.S. presence.

“I’ve got kind of mixed feelings about it,” Marshall said. “I think they’ll need some kind of guidance for a very long time. I know I’m not the only soldier who feels that way. I’ve talked to a lot of my buddies about it.”

Army Maj. Donald Stoner III is chairman of the military science department at Pittsburg (Kan.) State University. He returned in June after a 13-month deployment to Iraq.

“The security situation has improved significantly,” Stoner said. “The threat has decreased.”

He said the president gets his advice from senior military commanders. He said their advice is based on facts on the ground in Iraq.

“I’m not surprised by this,” Stoner said. “It’s logical.”

He said that if the president makes the announcement that is expected, he would welcome it.