USO Canteen FReeper Style ~ Operations in Kuwait -CFLCC - 3rd Army ~ February 10 2003

February 10 2003 | snippy about it with assistance from freeper in Kuwait KKing

[snippy_about_it]

U.S. War Buildup in High Gear in Kuwait
By STEVEN GUTKIN
Associated Press Writer

February 9, 2003, 2:43 PM EST

CAMP VIRGINIA, Kuwait -- The key launch pad for a future war on Iraq bustles with tens of thousands of U.S. and British soldiers. Military convoys clog highways, and the entire northern half of Kuwait is sealed off as a military operations zone.

"Every day this thing grows by leaps and bounds," Lt. Col. Jeffrey Helmick said.

"We're bursting at the seams," said Helmick, commander of the U.S. Army's 6th Transportation Battalion, which helps truck tons of supplies from ports of entry to desert camps near the Iraqi border.

Officials will say little about the total number of U.S. troops being dispatched to Kuwait before a possible war. Washington says war is likely to begin soon because Iraq has failed to rid Iraq of all biological, chemical and nuclear weapons -- weapons Iraq denies it has.

About 113,000 U.S. troops are now in the Gulf, and that number is expected to climb to 150,000 by Feb. 15 -- enough to launch at least the first stage of an invasion. Britain is sending 35,000 troops -- including a quarter of its army and its biggest naval task force in two decades.

When troops arrive in Kuwait -- usually in cargo planes or in commercial jets chartered by the military -- they travel to base camps in civilian buses with curtains that are drawn so potential terrorists don't see in.

The timing of any possible war could be driven less by diplomatic maneuverings than by the complicated logistics required to set up and supply an invasion force. Bringing in tens of thousands of troops involves building new roads, camps and living quarters, in addition to ensuring adequate supplies of food, water, electricity, weaponry, ammunition and vehicles.

Judging from the intense activity at Kuwaiti ports, the massive military convoys blocking traffic throughout the oil-rich emirate and the words of U.S. soldiers on the ground, the job is just about done.

"We've got enough for whatever needs to be done. Now we're just continuing to reinforce it," said Sgt. Maj. Larry Stevens, spokesman for the 6th Transportation Battalion. "If the commander in chief gives the order, we don't have to wait for anything."

Camps are being set up throughout northern Kuwait, where a large ground force is massing in white tents, bustling mess halls and training grounds with shooting ranges, mock cities and Bradley Fighting Vehicles.

At base camps there are gyms with state-of-the-art cardiovascular machines, movie theaters, fast-food restaurants set up in trailers and PXs stocked with everything from Coca Cola to DVDs to Mideastern tobacco pipes. A chapel set up in a tent at Camp Arifjan, the U.S. military's main logistics base south of Kuwait City, has heat, air conditioning and a digital hymn player.

This week, command-and-control systems that would be used in any strike on Iraq are being tested in a computer-generated exercise dubbed Lucky Warrior.

Kuwaiti police, U.S. Marines and an armored vehicle mounted with an M60 machine gun escorted a convoy of 30 heavy trucks carrying bulldozers, forklifts, graders and other engineering equipment across the desert Saturday from Kuwait's main sea port to Camp Virginia, a small base near the Iraqi border.

Soldiers in the convoy clutched their M16 rifles and talked of their hopes and anxieties surrounding a possible war.

Kuwait is grateful to the United States for leading the coalition force that drove Iraqi troops out of Kuwait in the 1991 Gulf War. It has welcomed allied troops now despite an official stance opposing war without U.N. approval. The United States says it will attack if necessary, with or without a new U.N. resolution.

The entire northern half of the emirate has been declared off-limits to civilians, to the annoyance of families who normally enjoy camping in those deserts at this time of year.

Despite pervasive pro-U.S. sentiment among Kuwaitis -- a rarity in the Muslim world -- three serious attacks on Americans here since October have killed a U.S. Marine and an American civilian contracted to the U.S. military. Shots have been fired on U.S. convoys carrying equipment and personnel.

"We're in danger every day," said 2nd Lt. Sarah Groen, 23, of Haymarket, Va., who commanded Saturday's convoy.

Inside the cab of one of the convoy's trucks, two sergeants asked an army chaplain how long they'd have to be away from home.

"Wrap your mind around a year," said the chaplain, 37-year-old Capt. Craig Johnson, of St. Louis, Mo. Even if a war went quickly, he told the soldiers, there would be many humanitarian operations and other duties to be performed in a post-war Iraq.

Links to other recent news about the Kuwait Operation:

Kuwait-Iraq border residents in dark as war looms

US mobilisation transforms Kuwait into armed camp

Many U.S. Citizens in Kuwait Will Stay

CAMP PENDLETON MARINES DEPLOYED TO MIDDLE EAST

[tomkow6]

Good morning, Snippy!  Good morning, Canteen Crew!  Good morning, EVERYBODY!

GOOD

MORNING

TROOPS!!

[tomkow6]

Today's FEEBLE attempt at humor:

Dear Civilians,

We know that the current state of affairs in our great
Nation have many civilians up in arms and excited to join the military. For those of you who can't join, you can still lend a hand. Here are a few of the areas we would like your assistance with:

1. The next time you see an adult talking during the playing of the
National Anthem ...... kick their a$$.

2. When you witness firsthand someone burning the American Flag in
protest ... kick their a$$.

3. Regardless of the rank they held while they served, pay the highest
amount of respect to all veterans. If you see anyone doing otherwise, quietly pull them aside and explain how these Veterans fought for the very freedom they bask in every second. Enlighten them on the many sacrifices these Veterans made to make this Nation great.. Then hold them down while a Disabled Veteran kicks their a$$.

4. If you were never in the military, DO NOT pretend that you were.
Wearing battle dress uniforms (BDU's), telling others that you used to
be "Special Forces," and collecting GI Joe memorabilia, might have been
okay if you were still seven. Now, it will only make you look stupid and get your a$$ kicked.

5. If you witness someone calling an enlisted Marine "Sir," stand back
...a Marine will kick their a$$.

6. Next time you come across an Air Force member, do not ask them, "Do
you fly a jet?" Not everyone in the Air Force is a pilot. Such ignorance deserves an a$$ kickin (children are exempt).

7. Roseanne Barr's singing of the National Anthem is not a blooper ...
it was a disgrace and disrespectful. Laugh, and sooner or later your a$$ will be kicked.

8. Next time Old Glory prances by during a parade, get on your damn feet and pay homage to her by placing your hand over your heart. Quietly thank the military member or veteran lucky enough to be carrying her .......of course, failure to do either of those could earn you a severe a$$ kicking.

9. What Jane Fonda did during the Vietnam War makes her the enemy. The proper word to describe her is "traitor." Just mention her nomination for "Woman of the Year" and get your a$$ kicked..

10. Don't try to discuss politics with a military member or a veteran.
We are Americans and we all bleed the same regardless of our party
affiliation. Our Chain of Command, is to include our commander in Chief. The President(for those who didn't know) is our CIC regardless of political party.. We have no inside track on what happens inside those big important buildings where all those "representatives" meet. All we know is that when those civilian representatives screw up the situation, they call upon the military to go straighten it out. The military member might direct you to Oliver North. (I can see him kicking your a$$ already.)

11. "Your mama wears combat boots" never made sense to me ... stop
saying it! If she did, she would most likely be a vet and probably kick your a$$!

12. Bin Laden and the Taliban are not communists, so stop saying "Let's go kill those Commie's!!!" And stop asking us where he is!!!! Crystal balls are not standard issue in the military.. That reminds me ... if you see anyone calling those damn psychic phone numbers; let me know, so I can go kick their a$$.

13.. Bus Driver, Jar Head, Grunt, Swabbie, Squid, etc, are terms of
endearment we use describing each other. Unless you are a service member or vet, you have not earned the right to use them & could get your a$$ kicked.

14. Last but not least, whether or not you become a member of the
military, support our troops and their families. Every Thanksgiving and religious holiday that you enjoy with family and friends please remember that there are, literally, thousands of troops overseas wishing they could be with their families.

Thank God for our military and the sacrifices they make every day.
Without them, our country would get its a$$ kicked.

[tomkow6]

Chicagoland Weather
Current Conditions:
As reported at KORD, O'Hare Arpt..
Last update Mon 10 Feb 2003 4:56 AM CST.

Cloudy
25°F Feels Like: 16°F
UV Index: 0 Minimal
Wind: From the W at 9 mph
Humidity: 82 %
Visibility: unlimited
Barometer: 29.71 inches and Rising

Today's Forecast Mon 10 Feb 2003 03:01 AM CST
AM Clouds/PM Sun
Low 8°F
High 23°F

[tomkow6]

[snippy_about_it]

I see you are still on your best behavior today. Thanks for the flowers. How sweet.

[Severa]

Good morning from VA Beach!

Rainy and cool (in the 40s) here today. Yuck. Glad I don't have a lot of driving to do as all the idiots seem to crawl out of the woodwork here when it rains or snows.

Kids are doing fine. JJ just left for school a few minutes ago. Still not sure when hubby will be home. Other than that just waiting patiently (ha!) for tax returns to come in.

Have a great day everyone!

[snippy_about_it]

We received about 3 inches overnight. I decided to give myself a snow day!

[tomkow6]

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Click Here for Today's Thread
by snippy_about_it about
Operations in Kuwait

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Just Click on a flag to SEND an e-mail.

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to our friends in the British Military.


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to our friends in the Canadian Military.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Thank You for today's thread!

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Tonk and all.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

From the men in the Military and the Canteen

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Todays transportation for you and the Girlz.

[Bethbg79]

Good Morning Troops!!!

Good Morning Canteen Crew!!!

[tomkow6]

[Bethbg79]

OoOooo, Tulips! Thank you :)

Good morning Tom :)

[SAMWolf]

Good Morning Everybody.


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