Something smells about this story.
if this is true thats interesting...
I am pretty sure every ARMY soldier has a personal weapon.....generally an M-16....
KWTX is a WACO station, not Houston. Proximate to Fort Hood.
Non-story story.
Unites ALWAYS deploy without weapons, and meet their weapons in country as they replace the unit that is leaving.
btw - this was posted on DU.
BTW, KWTX is CBS, so you are right that something may stink about this. Confirm via another source before you believe it!
Logistics? I was a non-com in Germany for many years. And I hafta say, the beer was pretty good...
I smells ozone...
Maybe they're cooks or clerks????????
"could this be true?"
Yes, it could be true. A training unit may not have its allocation of weapons and vehicles.
They will get what they need when they train for deployment, IMO.
Something I discussed with my brother, NG, who is called up to go over.
You see, each unit takes their own stuff. Of course, NG and Reserves are on the short end of the funding pipeline.
But when they are activated for Iraq, they go for training and draw some new equipment, and are trained on that new equipment.
In the case of a unit like my brother's, they have really really old trucks, so are getting the new trucks before they deploy. However, can't get an answer as to if/when their HMMVs will be armored.
Army civilians have been doing a bang-up job armoring them in theatre.
HOWEVER: when a unit rotates out, they take their up-armored HMMVs etc. back to the states with them. Then the next unit up (like my brother's) has to worry about when/if they will get the armor.
IMHO, why not LEAVE a good set of equipment over there for the follow-on units to fall onto? Instead of shipping it back to CONUS, and shipping the Guard/Reserve somewhat? inadequate stuff over there . . .
In Germany, we had unit sets for CONUS troops to draw and fall onto. This was practiced in REFORGER. The Navy/Marines have had unit sets in the Indian Ocean.
Why not do the same type of thing for Iraq, so that even the most unfunded Reserve unit has the same equipment in Iraq that the highest priority active duty unit had when it was there?
I dont believe it.
Well if Kerry had had his way, at least they would have had spitballs!
John Kerry voted against the unit's weapons, and now they have to do the impossible, immediately, with nothing.
In line with our new sensitive approach to war they will be armed with the new spitball repeater.
Something doesn't seem right about this story...
Army is mobilizing a reserve training unit to help train Iraqi troops
Hmmm,seems something is fishy here!
No,mention of "Army Sends Weaponless Reserve Unit"
Something stinks about this article,and it's not Lt. Gen. James Helmly.
I frankly have started to put a boot up some people's fannies about getting everyone ready," he said.
"..According to the Sept. 20 NY Times, the week prior, the US Army Reserve announced that 800 soldiers from the Rochester, NY-based 98th Division would be deployed in the forthcoming nine weeks to Iraq. The overseas deployment would be the unit's first since World War II. In Iraq, the unit will assume a lead role in training the New Iraqi Army..."
Army Reserve chief says force was not well-prepared for terror war
"..For years the conventional wisdom among members of the Army Reserve was that they were unlikely to get mobilized, and if they did it would be for non-combat duty in a secure rear area, far from the fighting. The war in Iraq, where no soldier is immune from attack, has shattered that belief.
Too often, Helmly said, he hears that members of a newly mobilized Reserve unit respond to the news of their activation by saying, "I didn't think it was going to happen to us," and they are not prepared.
"I frankly have started to put a boot up some people's fannies about getting everyone ready," he said.
As an example of the mindset he is working to change, Helmly described the reaction he got from the 98th Division, whose main mission is training other U.S.-based Army units, when it was told that about 800 members will be mobilized and sent to Iraq in October to help train the Iraqi army.
"I've gotten cards, letters, e-mails (saying), 'How can you do that?'" he said.
In the 45 years since the 98th Division became part of the Army Reserve it has never deployed abroad, according to spokesman Steve Stromvall, although it did occupation duty in Japan in 1945-46 as an active-duty infantry division. It is scheduled to spend 12 months in Iraq..."
The Question to ask is "Is it a TDA unit or TO&E unit?" and then run the story from there. How many reporters know the difference between a lettered company and a numbered company?
Far too many news people do not understand how the military works. Yet they try to report it to people who understand it even less.
Friday, July 9, 2004
Text of a Army Reserve 98th Division mobilization draft
Text of a Army Reserve 98th Division mobilization draft dated June 27 that was obtained by The Daily Star this week. It appears as written but with acronyms written out in italics.
Intent:
We will deploy TF 98 (Taskforce 98th Division) to Iraq to train the new Iraqi National Army (INA) to rebuild their capability to provide their own National Security capability and reduce Coalition presence in Iraq. Success will be defined by the completion of training of 3 divisions consisting of 3 brigades each, with 3 battalions per brigade, and the successful redeployment of TF 98 to home station.
We need to plan for the entire 98th DIV (IT) (Institutional Training) to be mobilized to execute this mission, and for soldiers to be away from their civilian responsibilities for 18 to 24 months. Commanders at all levels should think mobilization and should eliminate those activities which are not related to MOB (mobilization) from their training schedules:
• Identify retirement-eligible soldiers who are non-deployable and process them for retirement.
• Remove non-deployable soldiers and process them for separation.
• Train now in Warrior Ethos tasks and make the best use of remaining UTAs (unit training assemblies or training weekends) improve soldier and family readiness.
• Qualify your soldiers with their weapons.
• Get all soldiers MOS (military occupation specialty) /Drill/Instructor qualified now.
• Remember family readiness and educate soldiers and families about Tri-Care and other programs for mobilized Reserve soldiers and families.
• Develop battle rosters.
• Remain positive and flexible as we continue to do the Nation's work.
Above all, we must remember our success in this mission sets the conditions for future operations of this nature and affects the success of the United States' and the Coalition's mission to rebuild the nation of Iraq.
Purpose: The Purpose of TF 98 is to provide a force multiplier for the Office of Security and Transition (OST) by consolidating the training of the INA under the control of a Foreign Army Training Command (FA-TRAC). Ultimately, the training we conduct will save U.S. and coalition lives and will significantly impact the Coalition's success in Iraq.
Are they gonna shoot the trainees who don't maintain a D or better average?
Are you sure that they are American, this sounds a lot like French Special forces to me...