Why? Because I was there, and I was sitting in that Sh*thole for 8 months... waiting... and yes.. waiting for the Army to get all their boys up there for the flanking movement. So see.. you answered my question.. we did sit there and wait on the Army to mobilize. We (Marines) stay mobilized.
Geez, you know that we had to wait for the political games to be played. It had nothing to do with the Marines having to wait for anyone-for that matter the 82nd was there first. But you couldn't resist the opportunity to get a dig in and then you wonder why I am defensive.
The ENTIRE USMC was not mobilized for GWI/ODS.
HALF of the Army, a considerably larger force, was mobilized for ODS. That's because the Army was the lead force and provided the vast majority of the combat assets, as well as supplying the USMC with the material assets that their failed logistics train could not provide.
You were waiting for the Army, Navy, Air Force AND USMC to deploy to the theater to present enough firepower to take on the world's FOURTH BIGGEST ARMY.
Yeah, they would have sent in you and your squad to get the job done, buy you had to wait for the Army.