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| Axis of Evil |
| Army Reserves alerted for Iraq |
| 2003-01-06 |
| In the latest sign of escalating war preparations for Iraq, the Pentagon has alerted at least 275 Army Reserve units throughout the nation to be ready to move overseas as early as this week, military officials say.The notifications, known as alert orders, instruct unit commanders to be ready to move out between Jan. 10 and Feb. 15, Defense Department sources say. Counting several thousand other Army Reserve soldiers alerted on Friday for duty in the USA, the orders affect more than 10,000 troops, said Lt. Gen. James Helmly, commander of Army Reserve forces. The troops will consist of a few entire units as well as pieces of other units. Some will fill in at home for those deployed overseas, but most are likely to be sent to the Persian Gulf, officials say. Already, a hospital ship and an Army unit thought to be a key component of any potential invasion are being sent to the region. More than 300 military and civilian crew members boarded the Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort in Baltimore on Sunday as it prepared to head overseas. And in Georgia, two combat brigades from Army's 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) were about to join the unit's other combat brigade in the Persian Gulf region. The latest activation — the largest single call-up since Sept. 11 — could eventually exceed 100,000 National Guard and Reserve troops for a war with Iraq. These Gulf-bound troops would join a larger force of permanent active duty personnel. The nearly 60,000 U.S. troops already there could double in coming weeks, officials said. War plans call for about 250,000 U.S. and allied troops. The National Guard has already mobilized about 9,000 troops to protect 163 Air Force bases worldwide. Jim Wilkinson, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command in Tampa, declined to specify which units had received orders to mobilize. But the call-ups will greatly increase public awareness that the United States might soon be at war, he said. "When Reservists start leaving, the citizens in their communities start paying more attention," he said. Since the Sept. 11 attacks, some 130,000 Reserve and Guard troops have been called to active duty. Most have helped with homeland security, and more than half have rotated back out of active duty. Almost 54,000 remain on active duty, and about 5,000 are entering their second year. Reservists alerted include doctors and nurses, communications specialists, drivers, and legal officers. Some Reserve troops have already quietly moved to the Gulf, including an engineer company that has been in the Middle East about 45 days, Helmly said. "We'll continue to see the numbers grow," he said. Tick...tick...tick... |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #1 Everything looks on schedule for early February! Wonder if Saddam is getting cold sweats yet? |
| Posted by: Scooter McGruder 2003-01-06 15:00:00 |