Boots on the ground and we just don't know it? (Except for the SF guys and CIA spooks who are already there, of course, we're not supposed to know about them.)
I looked it up, and the range is 250-300 miles...but they can refuel. I’m still not convinced these aircraft are being launched from a ship though...and their fuel, maintenance people, parts, etc. are in Iraq somewhere. Heck, if we anticipate that an airplane pilot may eventually get shot down, we’d better have a helicopter base in Iraq to launch a rescue mission from.
Its not all just CIA and SF there either. Per this story, at least 200 troops in Iraq right now are from Fort Riley:
Its actually a nightmare scenario, since these troops are the furthest thing possible from SF. They are mostly a headquarters unit. And the story didn’t mention a movement of equipment...after all, these soldiers will just be ‘advisors’. So when ISIS attacks Baghdad, these guys will be holed up in the embassy, armed with M-16’s - hopefully they’ll have ammunition.
And its worth mentioning that unlike Saigon, Baghdad is a hell of a long way from the safe refuge of a ship, or even a friendly nation. Refueling of helicopters for a mass exodus probably can’t be organized and relied upon. It would be best to have an airport...in fact our last stand should be at the airport, lest 200 soldiers from Fort Riley get their heads chopped off. So, of course we’re standing by while ISIS is about to capture the airport :(
None of this makes any sense.