Military begins huge rotation of forces in Iraq and Afghanistan

SFGate.com / San Francisco Chronicle ^ | (01-08) 15:00 PST | ROBERT BURNS

[Cannoneer No. 4]

The military has begun a rotation of forces in Iraq and Afghanistan that amounts to the largest movement of American troops in decades, Army officials said Thursday.

The changes present an enormous logistics challenge not only for the Army and Marine Corps, but also for the Air Force and Navy, whose planes and ships are ferrying the troops to and from Iraq.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Rarely in the course of human events has so much been expected by so many of so few. We have never tried to maintain an operational tempo like this without conscription and full mobilization. The US armed forces will be dealing with the effects of this for the next 20 years.

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[fatima]

Bump for all our troops,"dealing with the effects of this for the next 20 years'.
Why do you write this?

[Cannoneer No. 4]

I wrote it because I am concerned for the future of our armed forces, particularly the Army. We are working them to death. Many will not reenlist. Units returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are not mission capable for months. We are in danger of breaking our fine Army.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Demands on Military Raise Fears of 'Hollow Force'

[txzman]

Thanks for the great post. My prayers for the young men rotating in

[fatima]

My graddaughtr is there,You are saying your Opinion-not inside knowledge.

[leadpenny]

Rarely in the course of human events has so much been expected by so many of so few.
We have never tried to maintain an operational tempo like this without conscription and full mobilization.
The US armed forces will be dealing with the effects of this for the next 20 years.

Bump!!

The military has begun a rotation of forces in Iraq and Afghanistan . . .

Then no mention of the units in and out of Afganistan?

[Cannoneer No. 4]

God Bless your grand daughter. My opinion that we must take care not to wreck our Army through overwork is not mine alone.

An Army of Lots More Than One

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Breaking The Army

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Where Are The Divisions

10th Mountain Division still in Afghanistan. 3rd BDE, 25th ID to relieve them in April.

[leadpenny]

You do good work. Thanks.

[getgoing]

We've heard from several who won't sign up again. Those who plan to resign have 11 yrs or less to retire except one. He's in pilot training. Can we avoid a draft? Isn't this the beginning of second rotation to Asia/ME in less than 2 yrs for 1st MEF? (don't flame me, I know they love it)

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- More than 200 Marines and 900 Sailors embarked aboard USS Boxer (LHD 4) will deploy Jan. 14 from San Diego to the Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility (AOR) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II (OIF II). Force rotation: 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (1 MEF) stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif., and 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing stationed at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar, Calif.

The majority of Marines deploying from 1 MEF will depart later in the spring via air transport to join the equipment. Military Sealift Command is transporting additional equipment. The ability to deploy to points around the globe on short notice highlights the inherent flexibility of naval forces.

Boxer is scheduled to return to San Diego at the end of April after offloading embarked Marines and equipment in the CENTCOM AOR http://www.news.navy.mil/local/c3f/

[getgoing]

"resign" = sign up again-Sorry!

[Cannoneer No. 4]

"resign" = sign up again-Sorry!

School of the Patriotic Civilian Who Supports The Troops But Doesn't Really Know What They Do Mil-Speak Tip:

Try "re-up" or "re-enlist."

[BlueLancer]

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Can we avoid a draft?

I sincerely hope so. I am not sure that bringing back the draft is a workable solution. Conscription is a form of involuntary servitude, after all. Our Army has been all volunteer for 30 years. Only the oldest soldiers have any recollection of dealing with draftees. Turning people who don't want to be soldiers into competent combat infantrymen would be much harder now, I think, than it was last time we had to do it. We don't have the social cohesion we had then. The majority of draftees of the Vietnam era stoically accepted their plight and tried to make the best of it. They recognized their duty. And there would be consequences back home if they shirked it. I am not so confident that 19-year old draftees in 2005 would see things the same way. Neither would many of their mothers. The Democrats would love a draft with which to beat the President about the head and shoulders.

I greatly respect the sacrifices made by Americans drafted into the service of their country in previous wars, but I think the era of industrial age warfare requiring large masses of conscripts is over.

[mystery-ak]

Take a look...the *surge* has begun....see ya in a few months.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Awesome post. Thank you, Cannoneer No. 4.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The military has begun a rotation of forces in Iraq and Afghanistan that amounts to the largest movement of American troops in decades, Army officials said Thursday.

The changes present an enormous logistics challenge not only for the Army and Marine Corps, but also for the Air Force and Navy, whose planes and ships are ferrying the troops to and from Iraq.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Details of the rotation, where our troops are heading, and when.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No Wimps Allowed

 

Lord,
Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.    

.Thanks to the FoxHole.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

They called the V Corps shoulder patch the Klingon Patch when I was in.