Recent reports have been touting the end of combat operations in Iraq, saying the last of the combat troops have left, but the reports are angering some of the tens of thousands of troops who are still there and will remain there.

Just Thursday morning, Capt. Christopher Ophardt, spokesman for the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, said the last of the unit's vehicles were crossing the border into Kuwait. Reports from the U.S. Military say the last U.S. brigade officially classed as a combat unit formally handed over responsibilities to its Iraqi counterparts on August 7, but U.S. troops have been steadily flowing out of the country on transport aircraft and by road for a year.

However, tens of thousands of troops remain in Iraq, including thousands of Fort Carson soldiers.

11 News has received feedback from Fort Carson soldiers and families saying these reports are upsetting and are not representative of the fight that is far from over in Iraq.

Five-year-old Kiera's father will see her first day of kindergarten only by clicking on a video link on Facebook. Her father is currently in southern Iraq.

Michelle, who works for KKTV, is Kiera's mother and thought recent reports of the troop draw-down might end her husband's fourth deployment early.

"I thought, he's on a plane," she said. "Oh my God, he's coming home."

Now she's dismayed and disgruntled that those reports could mislead the American public, and she's not alone.

The assignment for thousands of soldiers is not over.

"I'm focused on our mission and our family and we try to get out to our families as much info as possible and I believe we've done a good job of that and they realize that this is a year long deployment, that has not changed," said MAJ Joe Bethel at Ft. Carson on Thursday.

Although there are combat troops within the mountain post's 3rd BCT, their designated role is to train and support Iraqi forces. The only difference is the classification of their unit changing from "combat" to a "sustainment" brigade.

"We recognize as always the continued sacrifice by Ft. Carson soldiers, the great work that they are doing over there and continue to do," said CPT Chad Ashe.

For Michelle, that means six, to seven more months away from her husband while he continues his duty in a re-building, yet still dangerous Iraq.

"They're all in harms way, all of them," Michelle said. "To say non-combat soldiers are staying-- they're all in harm's way."

In an e-mail to KKTV 11 News, a deployed soldier writes, "To clarify the definition of combat, we are attacked by roadside IEDs, rockets, and mortars on a regular basis. When soldiers are wounded or killed by weapons then I consider this combat."

For Michelle it means another anniversary and holiday season apart from her hero who is among a team that will pass word about their return when they're ordered to.

"Find out the truth," she said. "If you have a soldier wait to hear from him before you get your hopes up."

Much of the response from families say the announcement makes it seem as if their soldiers are not still fighting the war they are. Soldiers say the violence continues in Iraq with frequent IED and mortar attacks. A Colorado soldier, 23-year-old Sgt. Faith Hinkley, was just killed on August 7 in Baghdad, the very day the military announced that combat units formally handed over responsibilities to its Iraqi counterparts.

Below is a statement that Michelle gave to us regarding the troop withdrawl.

"This is not my first time going through a deployment; my husband has been deployed 4 times.
What upsets me the most is the reports do not say is there are many combat soldiers that will remain deployed along with the NON-COMBAT soldiers and will be missing another Holiday, birthday, birth of a child, anniversary or in my case our daughters first day of kindergarten and the reports that are put out needs to be respectful of the families and not appear so promising.
Many of us families with a deployed soldier have to deal with these types of rumors each deployment and every time the reports are made they seem more and more promising when in fact they are not. I always ask my husband before getting my hopes up, but there are some families who cannot talk to their soldier’s daily, weekly or even monthly- so when reports state the LAST combat brigade is leaving Iraq what are we to think when our soldier is classified as a COMBAT BRIGADE?
The subject Is very sensitive to so many and the report also mentioned NON- Combat staying.. so are they saying the remaining 50,000 soldiers left in Iraq are just paper pushers and a bunch of nobodies....? Because they are not...they are someone's husband, father, son, brother, cousin....and so on and so forth, someone back home is missing them and worrying about them so why categorize who is to come home early and who stays. A simple report that more troops are coming home is sufficient enough for us.
Either way there is still a soldier somewhere fighting for our country!"

Editor's Note: Another soldier's e-mail in a previous version of this story has been removed after he e-mailed us asking to redact his statement.