Truth be known man lives on the edge of destroying himself every day, to DEFCON 2 I say Yawn ....
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.
POTUS?
I won’t believe them until they release the Michelle Obama tapes.
LOL!
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.
This article is dated more than a year ago. Plus we’re down to 28,000 troops there now, not 35,000.
Great catch on the date.
Admin Moderator, please pull this dubious thread.
*ping*
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?
The ROK moved to WATCHCON 2. Some guy in Macedonia is confused.
S.Korean, U.S. Forces Raise Alert WATCHCON 2 In Effect
The reason it's not certain if this has been used is because the DEFCON status of the US is classified information.
if we go after n korea...they’ll go after japan....who has a pacifist policy.
You’ll be surprised how quickly they’ll drop that if attacked.
I only noticed the date after I noticed the number of troops was wrong. Other recent news stories listed the 28,000 number.
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.
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.
... and one of the best equipped and most modern Navies in the world, along with a real "attitude" about Korea and Koreans in general.
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