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| Iraq |
| Nat’l Guard, Reserve to Take Iraq Combat Roles in Spring |
| 2003-11-26 |
| EFL The National Guard and Reserve will take on more of the combat burden in Iraq next year, replacing some Army troops with a smaller, lighter and more mobile force equipped with fewer tanks and more Humvees. Nearly 40 percent of the American forces in Iraq will be from the National Guard and Reserve after the Pentagon completes a massive switchout of troops starting in January — up from about 20 percent now. Three National Guard infantry brigades will go, at least two of them slated for combat duties. And it won’t be just Army reservists; the Marines plan to use about 6,000 of their citizen-soldiers. The first changes will be seen even before the newly designated replacement force gets there. A contingent of 5,000 soldiers in a combat team called the Stryker Brigade, from Fort Lewis, Wash., is training in Kuwait in preparation for duty in Iraq. They are equipped with a new, speedier, lightly armored troop carrier and sophisticated communications tools to enable soldiers to locate guerrilla threats. The Stryker Brigade is likely to see action in the so-called Sunni Triangle, the area between Baghdad, Ramadi and Tikrit where the resistance to U.S. forces has been deadliest. "It is absolutely optimized for this kind of fight," said Lt. Gen. Richard Cody, the Army’s deputy chief of staff for operations, who oversees the Army’s provision of fresh forces. An armored division like the 1st Cavalry Division will equip two of the three battalions in each of its brigades with Humvee utility vehicles instead of tanks and Bradleys. The 1st Cavalry, based at Fort Hood, Texas, will actually be larger than a normal division, since it will operate with the 39th Infantry Brigade of the Arkansas National Guard. The switch away from heavy armored forces has created such demand for Humvees that the Army is pulling every available one — fortified with add-on armor — out of the United States and Europe, Cody said. The 1st Cavalry is likely to be given responsibility for the Baghdad area, replacing the 1st Armored Division. The 1st Infantry Division, coming from several locations in Germany, will be joined by the 30th Infantry Brigade of the North Carolina National Guard. They are likely to operate in place of the 4th Infantry and 101st Airborne divisions in northern Iraq, including the Kurdish area. Multinational divisions led by Britain and Poland will continue operating in the less volatile south-central and southeastern parts of Iraq. Elements of the 1st Marine Division, joined by one active-duty Army brigade, are expected to be assigned to western Iraq, including the Fallujah area, which has especially hostile to U.S. forces. Good job for the Marines to take on. Jihadis will wonder what in the heck just hit them. The Army, which has shouldered most of the burden in Iraq in recent months — and taken almost all of the casualties — is stretched so thin that it must extend soldiers’ tours in Afghanistan to make the Iraq 2004 rotation plan work. The 10th Mountain Division had been scheduled to end a six-month tour in Afghanistan in February, but will stay three months longer. Its replacement, the 25th Infantry Division, will serve for 12 months instead of the previously planned six months. 25th, eh? Wonder who will back up the 2ID in Korea; that’s been the 25th’s job. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #21 Well said OP. |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2003-11-26 8:18:41 PM |
| #20 May GOD bless all of our boys put into peril by this insane administration. This administration is insane. What the hell, then, was the previous one? Kosovo - damned near a disaster. Two embassies in Africa, and some Tomahawks tossed around. A US WARSHIP smacked in Aden Harbor, and NOTHING. We've been at war for twenty years, and it took 9/11 to wake us up to the fact. Since then, we've ripped OBL and his 'children' from Afghanistan, and put a bunch of them in shallow graves. Those donkey-brains can't hurt us any more. We completely conquered an Arab nation that's been thumbing its nose at the entire Western world, tried to develop sufficient chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons to hurt us as badly as it could, and turned it into a killing field for Jihadi cannon-fodder. In the end we'll have a secure base in the center of the Middle East, with the capability of causing some severe heartburn for the next donkey-brained turban-top that wants to cause trouble (Can you say Syria? Saudi Arabia? Iran? Yemen? Things are changing there because the US is in Iraq to stay). As for this piece of donkey-crap: Just imagine the lives lost--that could have been someone who ended up being a doctor/researcher who could cure cancer. Can't the same thing be said about the World Trade Center? What about those innocent civilians aboard the airliners that crashed into the twin towers, the Pentagon, that Pennsylvania field? Could it be just a tad bit remotely possible that one of them could have been the next Einstein? Where is the concern for them? IF we do NOT stomp these arrogant, "GOD IS ON OUR SIDE" tightly-twisted turbantops, the next person that might die may be one of MY friends. If some idiot with a big mouth and little brain is responsible for it, by NOT standing up to them now, by NOT stopping them now, then that idiot is in my sights, too. War is hell. Been there, done that, have the scars (physical and mental) to prove it. I would much rather see us fight a war against the Jihadis in Iraq than in eastern Kansas. And we will HAVE to fight them. Their version of the world and ours is far too different for us to live together in peace. Their only understanding of "peace" is the peace of the sword, the destruction of anyone NOT LIKE THEM. If any of the people on this message board don't understand that, they need to relocate their head from below their waist to the top of their head. Wipe the brown stuff off. THESE PEOPLE WANT TO DESTROY EVERYTHING WE HOLD TO BE TRUE. If I have to go back on active duty and fight this war, I'll go, gladly - 60 years old, bad back and all. I can still shoot straight, and I'm willing to use force to protect what I believe in. If you don't believe as I do, that's fine. Just don't get in front of me and try to stop me, because I'll leave either tire tracks, track marks, or shoeprints all over your ass. You either are willing to fight for what you believe in, or you believe in nothing. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-11-26 7:59:58 PM |
| #19 Ship, 4th Marine Division (HQ based in New Orleans)is supposed to put up 6,000 Marines for Iraq. Not sure the composition. My guess is a Regiment Reinforced w/aviation assets and a artillery battalion from the 14th Marines, also maybe some tanks from Washington State (remote possibility). Probably the guys from New York's 25th Marines, Michigan's 24th Marines, and maybe some Recon assets out of Florida & Nebraska as well. Again, just my swag (scientific wild ass guess)on it. The 4th Marine Regiment (part of 3rd Marine Division) in Oki is always training, either on the island, in Nippon, in SKor, or w/the Thai's or Phillipinos. Korea is their baby. When I was in Oki, Korea was one of the things we focused on doing. |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2003-11-26 5:26:23 PM |
| #18 JHead: Any word on 4th Div. activations? Smaller than regiment formations? |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-11-26 5:03:34 PM |
| #17 The 25th was going to go to Afghanistan, but is now headed for Iraq. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-11-26 2:28:19 PM |
| #16 NMM, Like I've posted before, I'm a VN ERA, AF Weather-weenie cold warrior, Det 4/31st WX Squadrn/MAC. Spent my time in the UK sipp'n at pints of Green Kings Bitter and piss'n and moan'n about shit that didn't matter. Worked an eight hour, 3 day work week with three day weekends. Most of the senior guys were VN vets and not one ever talked tough about it. Most would gladly tell you they were REMFs. I have such a high regard for all those people. About those flag draped coffins. Americans know they are there. Read Jarheads comment again. What's your claim to fame? |
| Posted by: Lucky 2003-11-26 12:20:05 PM |
| #15 The entire 4th Marine Regiment(augmented/reinforced) is in Okinawa w/the Korea contingency plan (4 Bn's of infantry). Not huge numbes on paper but enough to plug the hole sufficiently. The rest of the 3rd Marine Division out of Hawaii is also there. You have usually 2 Marine Expeditionary Units in or around the area. |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2003-11-26 10:24:31 AM |
| #14 "25th, eh? Wonder who will back up the 2ID in Korea; that’s been the 25th’s job." I think the divisions rotated back from Iraq do that - not ideal, we really hope we dont have to fight NKor in the next 6 months, but in an emergency you use everything youve got I suppose. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-11-26 10:03:09 AM |
| #13 eye, 12,000 are slated to be pulled from ROK. Germany I've no idea. SKor are supposed to send 5,000 to the ME as well. |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2003-11-26 9:49:05 AM |
| #12 someone who ended up being a doctor/researcher who could cure cancer, his blood spilled in Iraq Uh, no. The guy who could cure cancer died because his mother decided to abort him when he was still inside her womb. But... that's the way life goes. |
| Posted by: Rafael 2003-11-26 9:44:40 AM |
| #11 any of you military guys know how many troops have been pulled from NKor, Germany, & other useless places to go to Iraq ? |
| Posted by: eyeyeye 2003-11-26 9:38:47 AM |
| #10 NMM, I am glad you care about the boys over there. I know you hate GWB, but I don't think your un-patriotic because you have made it known that you care about the troops welfare. That is more then I can say for a lot of your brethren on the far left at the protest rallies. Those folks hate GWB more then the war. Some of things you say remind me of my dad's sentiments toward this admin (my ole man is a 101 'Nam Vet & loves our country, he just hates rich politicians). He said one Good Marine is not worth a 1,000 Iraqis. He said the same thing about Kosovo to. I agree in principle, but, we all volunteered for this. We have no illusions. If we had a conscripted service then your vehement attitude would be totally justified imho. I don't hold the same reservations about the administration that you do though. On the contrary, the troops' love GWB immensely more then his predecessor. We felt Clinton was more of a mockery to us. I'm not a huge GWB fan, but we like his plain (yes, sometimes dumb-sounding) talk and cowboy rhetoric. Heck, that represents prolly more then half of us. Now, the elite left (which I don't truly believe you belong to) will never understand that, and therefore, will never understand us. Thank God. Most of us are glad the coffin thing was shot down. I don't want my coffin turning into some asshole's ad campaign or some mother fucker from ANSWER using it at their next peace rally. That's between my wife, my son, my family & my God. For the record, I know that Democrats are not anti-American. I don't like Kerry but his mil record speaks for itself. I do like Lieberman. Zell Miller is the man, John Glenn, Truman, JFK all were total patriots, undeniable. |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2003-11-26 9:18:07 AM |
| #9 I'll buy the net RC. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-11-26 9:05:31 AM |
| #8 Seems NMM is into the body count thing... |
| Posted by: Rafael 2003-11-26 9:05:19 AM |
| #7 administration that refuses to have all those flag-draped coffins photographed As if it's any of your business to intrude on the mourning of others. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2003-11-26 8:45:52 AM |
| #6 Ahhh,Not Merely Mundane. Been there/done that.1974-75,,A/1st/44th ADA38th Brigade.In the ROK. Where were you? |
| Posted by: Raptor 2003-11-26 8:35:27 AM |
| #5 Mebbe cuz our useless asses were risked elsewhere - by Democrats? It's a been there / done that thing, NMM. Something you wouldn't understand. |
| Posted by: .com (Abu Trollslicer) 2003-11-26 5:34:10 AM |
| #4 No Lucky--you're with the crazy-ass administration that refuses to have all those flag-draped coffins photographed--Mission Accomplished my ass! If you believe so strongly why don't you go risk your useless ass in Iraq? |
| Posted by: NotMikeMoore 2003-11-26 4:24:15 AM |
| #3 I'm with you NMM, Lets be afraid, very afraid. Do nothing that will cause alarm. Except we should chase boogiemen in Afganistan until we find Osama. Anybody that thinks the war on terror should be fought in Afganistan has their head UP THEIR ASS. Afganistan is is a sand box. AQ, donks and ABC news would gladly have the war fought there. And you, NOTMIKEMOORE, AKA Berwexen, should go to bed so as not to miss OPRAH. And me wonder, HUH! |
| Posted by: Lucky 2003-11-26 3:49:42 AM |
| #2 May GOD bless all of our boys put into peril by this insane administration. They have got us into a situation where failure is not an option but where many soldier's lives will be lost--may GOD damn those Republican Neo-cons that have killed these guys by their arrogance and hubris! Just imagine the lives lost--that could have been someone who ended up being a doctor/researcher who could cure cancer, his blood spilled in Iraq for this bullshit administration of Texas assholes |
| Posted by: NotMikeMoore 2003-11-26 3:03:31 AM |
| #1 The Stryker Brigade is new. May God bless them. |
| Posted by: Lucky 2003-11-26 1:52:40 AM |