Replies

Following training, soldiers operate in sizeable units and are usually quartered in relatively secure army camps. Whereas, policemen are stationed at remote posts, in very small units, and they reside at home, often traveling isolated roads between work and their own neighborhoods.

I know the Hack (Hackworth) isn't very popular here but one of the most lucid comments he made about his Vietnam experience was the failure of our military to consolidate the South Vietnam irregular security forces into larger more capable units. Leaving them small and isolated allowed them to be over run regularly. Seems that rule might apply to the police forces in Iraq. Instead of isolated undermanned units they should be consolidated and strengthened.

Thanks for this post. Sort of sums up what has been said for the past few months as being the current status regarding security forces both Army and Police. I found the mentioning of the special shock unit stationed south of Baghdad quite interesting. I believe they where being formed while my nephew was still in the triangle of death area, with the 2/2 Marines, last year. It will take time but things are certainly shaping up for our guys to get the hell out of the sand box. History proves no one likes long drawn out occupations. If we can truly build up Iraq as planned, there is no way the rest of the mid east is going to continue living under Islamifacist orientented governments.
I don't care what anyone says. GWB and his advisors knew they had a chance to permentally change the whole face of the mid and far east. Gamble yes. But it appears it just might work out. Anyway. It appears we shall have a solid mid east presence with permenent military bases for some time to come. Iran and Syria will continue to boil and fume over that fact.

"Right now, it's just not a high priority for [Lt. Gen. David] Patreaus," says Blount. "We've got our own armor there now. When the insurgency is eliminated, the Iraqis are not going to need any real armor capability." And the U.S. is not going to leave until the insurgency has been quashed. "By the time we are gone, they will be fully capable of supporting themselves, without having the capacity to threaten their neighbors," Bearor adds.

I understand the idea of looking ahead so Iraq is not so heavily armed that it threatens the neighbors, but it certainly seems that they could use some small armor units now to support their infantry & police as they take down the bad guys.