On the move Tests begin to determine the combat effectiveness of Strykers

Honolulu Star-Bulletin ^ | Sunday, November 2, 2003 | Gregg K. Kakesako

[Cannoneer No. 4]

The Stryker with soldiers from Fort Lewis in Washington heads for a yearlong test in Iraq of a warfighting plan designed to replace Cold War tanks and heavy infantry.

Soldiers of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, will begin to leave Fort Lewis this week. The brigade is the first of six designated to become the Army's first medium-weight combat fighting unit.

In July, Gen. John Keane, then acting Army chief of staff, said the brigade would replace the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Anbar province. Anbar is Iraq's largest province, stretching from the Jordanian, Syrian, and Saudi Arabian borders east to Baghdad. It includes the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah, scenes of frequent violent anti-coalition incidents in the heart of the "Sunni Triangle."

[Cannoneer No. 4]

It will be interesting to see how long 3/2 takes to get to Kuwait, unload their vehicles off the ships and head out north. I think they had originally intended to conduct training in Kuwait for a week or two before going to Iraq. That timetable has probably gone out the window.

They are going to get a workout. They might find use as the "fire brigade" that shows up after a shoot down or a roadside bomb and cordons and searches the entire area. 3rd ACR isn't supposed to go for another four months. 3/2 might not get assigned to a specific area until then, leaving them free to be a Quick Reaction Force.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

3/2 ping

Stryker Brigade Combat Team Tactical Studies Group (Chairborne)

[johnb838]

Meet at the quarterback. Pincers as opposed to a fist.

[FreedomPoster]

I sure hope they get some briefings, at the NCO-to-NCO level, from guys who have been in-country for a while.

[U S Army EOD]

I wonder if the guys who have got to ride in these tin cans are beginning to understand how crash test dummies feel?

[Tailback]

I love the pregnant female in the background of the photo from the original article.

[Tailback]

I like this quote.

Soriano, the Army's highest ranking officer of Filipino-American ancestry, said the Stryker was never intended to be a fighting vehicle, like the heavier M-1A1 Abrams tank or Bradley fighting vehicle. "It was never meant to be a vehicle designed for a fight-on-fight, but merely to take soldiers to the battlefield."

Sounds like plausible deniability to me. After a few of these get blown up by IED's or RPG's he'll be able to say, "They weren't used correctly, these failures are from a lack of proper training at the NCO level."

[tet68]

Blown up like a penny balloon. Or is that some new kind of flak vest?

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Local deployments impact families, evoke memories of Vietnam War

[U S Army EOD]

Sorry, someone apparently loved her before you did.

[U S Army EOD]

Well in that case, it appears they are already at the battlefield, so what use are they. Just keep using the Bradleys.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Weasel words. If a combat soldier rides around in it in combat, it's not a combat vehicle?

The Infantry Carrier Vehicle variant is a battle taxi, and the infantry squad inside is expected to sit inside like spam in a can until they dismount. Wonder how long it takes for the field modifications to turn it into a wheeled ACAV that people can fight from?

[Tailback]

LOL!

[Travis McGee]

Ping

[Cannoneer No. 4]

?

[Matthew James]

Time to start prayin' for the Stryker riders. I think they'll need it.

[.cnI redruM]

I keep hearing that parroted evdery time the Stryker doesn't shine in T&E. Instead of fixing the vehicle, they blame TRADOC for not training the soldiers to use it correctly. The Army has too many wannabe litigators and not enough problem-solvers on this program. Stryker will get our soldiers killed.