Army Cancels Order for 3,500 Troops to Be Sent to Iraq

The Army has canceled orders for 3,500 soldiers out of upstate New York to be deployed to Iraq, just weeks after the top U.S. commander in Iraq signaled he would try to draw down forces faster than planned.

The 10th Mountain Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team at Fort Drum was scheduled to head to Iraq in January, but due to an improving security situation the commander decided not to send them.

Fort Drum spokeswoman Julie Cupernall told FOX News the move does not represent a change in mission. She said this brigade now falls into a "pool of deployable brigades," meaning they could be sent to Afghanistan.

President Obama is expected to make a decision in the coming weeks on whether to send thousands more U.S. troops to Afghanistan.

But for the moment, there is a sense of relief among the soldiers at Fort Drum. The January deployment would have meant the soldiers would leave their homes in late December and miss the holidays. They presumably will have that time at home.

Gen. Ray Odierno, the top commander in Iraq, told a congressional committee in late September that despite looming security concerns the United States is speeding up its withdrawal from Iraq.

He said he expects to meet Obama's deadline of sending home all but 50,000 by September 2010 as the military ends its combat mission there.

Fox News' Justin Fishel contributed to this report.