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Breaking: US Army moves to DEFCON 2 (Flaky source)
macedoniaonline.eu ^ | Thursday, 28 May 2009

Posted on 05/27/2010 11:12:28 AM PDT by TSgt

Sources close to MiNa claim the US Army has moved their alert level to Defcon 2. This was initiated by the alarming situation in North Korea. The US Army has over 35,000 troops stationed in South Korea, well within reach of North Korean convential weapons.

North Korea has the largest artillery force (can be equipped with nuclear warheads) in the world, which adds more to the already tense situation.

Earlier today, N. Korea's leader Kim Jong issued threaths to the South Korean and US Navy ships for coming too close to North Korea's territorial waters. The South Koreans and the Americans, may be positioning themselves for a preemptive strike.

What is DEFCON?

The defense readiness condition (DEFCON) is a measure of the activation and readiness level of the United States Armed Forces. It describes progressive postures for use between the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the commanders of unified commands. DEFCONs are matched to the situations of military severity.

Standard peacetime protocol is DEFCON 5, descending in increasingly severe situations. DEFCON 1 represents expectation of actual imminent attack, and is not known to have ever been declared. During the Cold War, DEFCON 1 was feared because it would most likely precede an all-out nuclear war.

In a national state of emergency, seven different alert conditions known as LERTCONs can be issued. They consist of five Defense Conditions and two Emergency Conditions (EMERGCONs).

DEFCON 5 This is the condition used to designate normal peacetime military readiness. An upgrade in military preparedness is typically made by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and announced by the United States Secretary of Defense.

DEFCON 4 This refers to normal, increased intelligence and the heightening of national security measures.

DEFCON 3 This refers to an increase to force readiness above normal. Radio call signs used by American forces change to currently classified call signs. This was reached after 9/11.

DEFCON 2 This refers to a further increase in force readiness just below maximum readiness. The most notable time it was declared was during the Cuban Missile Crisis, although the declaration was limited to Strategic Air Command. It is not certain how many times this level of readiness has been reached.

DEFCON 1 This refers to maximum readiness. It is not certain whether this has ever been used, but it is reserved for imminent or ongoing attack on US military forces or US territory by a foreign military power.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS: defcon2; korea; northkorea; southkorea
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Do not pass DEFCON 3, do not collect $200.00
1 posted on 05/27/2010 11:12:28 AM PDT by TSgt
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To: TSgt
Flaky source.

POTUS?

2 posted on 05/27/2010 11:13:42 AM PDT by gundog (Outrage is anger taken by surprise. Nothing these people do surprises me anymore.)
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To: TSgt

I won’t believe them until they release the Michelle Obama tapes.


3 posted on 05/27/2010 11:13:57 AM PDT by thefactor (yes, as a matter of fact, i DID only read the excerpt)
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To: thefactor

LOL!


4 posted on 05/27/2010 11:14:35 AM PDT by TSgt (We will always be prepared, so we may always be free. - Ronald Reagan)
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To: TSgt

I call BS. Looks like these guys are even less accurate than pravda.ru. Very, VERY unlikely that something like this would happen without several more clear indications of NK buildup, if not outright invasion of ROK. DEFCON-3 MIGHT be in the works, but not yet.


5 posted on 05/27/2010 11:14:56 AM PDT by OCCASparky (Obama--Playing a West Wing fantasy in a '24' world.)
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To: TSgt

This article is dated more than a year ago. Plus we’re down to 28,000 troops there now, not 35,000.


6 posted on 05/27/2010 11:16:11 AM PDT by Dave346
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To: Dave346; Admin Moderator

Great catch on the date.

Admin Moderator, please pull this dubious thread.


7 posted on 05/27/2010 11:17:12 AM PDT by TSgt (We will always be prepared, so we may always be free. - Ronald Reagan)
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To: sonofstrangelove; jhpigott; 1COUNTER-MORTER-68; SunkenCiv; Nachum; SmokingJoe; STARWISE; ...

*ping*


8 posted on 05/27/2010 11:17:19 AM PDT by hennie pennie
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To: TSgt

Has liberty been cancelled? Are passes revoked? Are the ships at the docks being loaded with ammo and supplies in Norfolk, San Diego? Are more planes flying?


9 posted on 05/27/2010 11:18:43 AM PDT by Citizen Tom Paine
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To: TSgt

The ROK moved to WATCHCON 2. Some guy in Macedonia is confused.


10 posted on 05/27/2010 11:20:15 AM PDT by Eyes Unclouded ("The word bipartisan means some larger-than-usual deception is being carried out." -George Carlin)
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To: TSgt
Here's an earlier report on this with the correct terminology. It doesn't look good;

S.Korean, U.S. Forces Raise Alert WATCHCON 2 In Effect

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2522049/posts

11 posted on 05/27/2010 11:22:45 AM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult (The man who said "there's no such thing as a stupid question" has never talked to Helen Thomas.)
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To: TSgt
It is not certain whether this has ever been used

The reason it's not certain if this has been used is because the DEFCON status of the US is classified information.

12 posted on 05/27/2010 11:22:59 AM PDT by mbynack (Retired USAF SMSgt)
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To: OCCASparky

if we go after n korea...they’ll go after japan....who has a pacifist policy.


13 posted on 05/27/2010 11:23:14 AM PDT by Sacajaweau (What)
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To: Sacajaweau

You’ll be surprised how quickly they’ll drop that if attacked.


14 posted on 05/27/2010 11:24:45 AM PDT by OCCASparky (Obama--Playing a West Wing fantasy in a '24' world.)
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To: TSgt

I only noticed the date after I noticed the number of troops was wrong. Other recent news stories listed the 28,000 number.


15 posted on 05/27/2010 11:29:05 AM PDT by Dave346
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To: Dave346
DEFCON and WATCHCON are different, DEFCON more controls alert states of MCC (Major Combatant Commands), where as WATCHCON more controls I & W assets (aka SIGINT type assets), this means they're probably increasing the recon assets op-tempo and Langley's being told to have a few more KH and Lacrosse tasked to keep an eye on things..the ROKs are probably increasing their patrols along the Z as well.

Quote: from: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/oplan-5027-2.htm

The process of changing the reconnaissance posture for strategic and tactical warning of attack operated by ROK and US military forces is called the WATCHCON system. There are about 180 unusual North Korean military movements on the "Indication and Warning Lists" which are intensively monitored, based on the WATCHCON levels. The Watch Condition hierarchy is characterised by four stages: WATCHCON 4 (normal peacetime position), WATCHCON 3 (important indications of threat), WATCHCON 2 (vital indications of threat), and WATCHCON 1 (wartime situation). The WATCHCON is normally raised by the agreement of ROK and US military intelligence authorities.

In normal defense situations, the South Korean troops maintain Watchcon 3 surveillance status and Defcon 4 defense readiness status. When tensions rise, the status is upgraded, and in war, they are raised to Watchcon 1 and Defcon 1.

The ROK-US issued WATCHCON 1 from 19 February to 17 March 1982, in response to North Korean Air Force training and bombers deployment. WATCHCON 3 was issued respectively in the wake of North Korean nuclear problem in the spring of 1994, and Air Force training and aircraft deployment in October-November 1995. On 06 April 1996 more than 100 North Korean troops entered the northern sector of the Joint Security Area (JSA) at Panmunjom the day after North Korea announced it had “dismissed” the armistice with the South. Both ROK and US forces were put on a higher state of alert - Watchcon 2. The ROK Defense Ministry also upgraded its Watchcon 3 lookout posture to Watchcon 2 without consultations with the US military. There was no change in defense readiness, which was maintained at Defcon 4. The CFC reverted to Watchcon 3 several weeks after the April armistice violation. In June 1999, when a naval battle between South and North Korea took place, the first of its kind since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, South Korean forces were put on Watchcon 2 surveillance status and Defcon 3 defense posture. The JCS issued an order of combat readiness equivalent to Defcon 3 around the five islands off the northwestern coast and ordered all Southern fishing boats to withdraw from the contested area. Simultaneously, it issued a Watchcon 2 surveillance order for all South Korean Armed Forces to heighten defense readiness in an escalation of the military crisis.

16 posted on 05/27/2010 11:40:30 AM PDT by Braak (The US Military, the real arms inspectors!)
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To: Braak
Whoops, lemme quote that properly: Quote: from: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/oplan-5027-2.htm

The process of changing the reconnaissance posture for strategic and tactical warning of attack operated by ROK and US military forces is called the WATCHCON system. There are about 180 unusual North Korean military movements on the "Indication and Warning Lists" which are intensively monitored, based on the WATCHCON levels. The Watch Condition hierarchy is characterised by four stages: WATCHCON 4 (normal peacetime position), WATCHCON 3 (important indications of threat), WATCHCON 2 (vital indications of threat), and WATCHCON 1 (wartime situation). The WATCHCON is normally raised by the agreement of ROK and US military intelligence authorities. In normal defense situations, the South Korean troops maintain Watchcon 3 surveillance status and Defcon 4 defense readiness status. When tensions rise, the status is upgraded, and in war, they are raised to Watchcon 1 and Defcon 1.

The ROK-US issued WATCHCON 1 from 19 February to 17 March 1982, in response to North Korean Air Force training and bombers deployment. WATCHCON 3 was issued respectively in the wake of North Korean nuclear problem in the spring of 1994, and Air Force training and aircraft deployment in October-November 1995. On 06 April 1996 more than 100 North Korean troops entered the northern sector of the Joint Security Area (JSA) at Panmunjom the day after North Korea announced it had “dismissed” the armistice with the South. Both ROK and US forces were put on a higher state of alert - Watchcon 2. The ROK Defense Ministry also upgraded its Watchcon 3 lookout posture to Watchcon 2 without consultations with the US military. There was no change in defense readiness, which was maintained at Defcon 4. The CFC reverted to Watchcon 3 several weeks after the April armistice violation. In June 1999, when a naval battle between South and North Korea took place, the first of its kind since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, South Korean forces were put on Watchcon 2 surveillance status and Defcon 3 defense posture. The JCS issued an order of combat readiness equivalent to Defcon 3 around the five islands off the northwestern coast and ordered all Southern fishing boats to withdraw from the contested area. Simultaneously, it issued a Watchcon 2 surveillance order for all South Korean Armed Forces to heighten defense readiness in an escalation of the military crisis.

17 posted on 05/27/2010 11:41:51 AM PDT by Braak (The US Military, the real arms inspectors!)
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To: TSgt


Truth be known man lives on the edge of destroying himself every day, to DEFCON 2 I say Yawn ....
18 posted on 05/27/2010 11:42:38 AM PDT by Scythian
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To: Sacajaweau
Japan ... who has a pacifist policy

... and one of the best equipped and most modern Navies in the world, along with a real "attitude" about Korea and Koreans in general.

19 posted on 05/27/2010 11:44:22 AM PDT by katana (Part Neanderthal, and proud of it!)
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To: TSgt
Well, it's about time.


20 posted on 05/27/2010 11:44:22 AM PDT by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus (We bury Democrats face down so that when they scratch, they get closer to home.)
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