2003 annual training which was conducted at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. Less than a month after the completion of this major training milestone, the brigade received its alert for deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on July 28, 2003. On October 12, 2003, the brigade, commanded by Brigadier General Ronald Chastain, was ordered to federal service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom for a period of up to 18 months. The brigade conducted post mobilization training at Fort Hood, Texas from October 2003 until January 2004. In January the brigade shipped its vehicles and equipment to Iraq from Fort Hood, and then moved to Fort Polk for a Mission Rehearsal Exercise at the Joint Readiness Training Center. On February 17, 2004, President George W. Bush visited the brigade and had an MRE (Meal, Ready-to-Eat) lunch in a field mess tent with soldiers. After lunch, President Bush made brief remarks to the soldiers. When the brigade combat team received its alert, it was approximately 700 soldiers short of its authorized end strength. This shortage was due in large part to the way new recruits are accounted for in the National Guard. In the active Army a new recruit only comes to a unit and is counted on its books after the soldier has completed Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training. In the National Guard, the new recruit is counted on the unit's strength reports as soon as the Soldier signs their contract. The brigade combat team had over 500 soldiers who had not completed either Basic or Advanced Individual Training upon alert. This shortage led to the decision to consolidate the available manning into two infantry battalions that would be supplied for the brigade by the Arkansas National Guard and to ask the National Guard Bureau to provide the third infantry battalion. Because of the 2002 deployment of the 2d Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment to the MFO, the battalion was deemed non-deployable as an organization; however, the soldiers of the battalion were to deploy. The decision was made by BG Chastain to transfer the battalion commander and staff from 2d Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment to 3d Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment. The 3d Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment commander and staff were transferred to 2d Battalion, 153d Infantry Regiment and were designated to function as the brigade's rear detachment during Operation Iraqi Freedom. This transfer led to the 3d Battalion,