[neverdem]

The Marines have 24 active-duty combat battalions. At any given time, nine of them are in Iraq.

Does that imply that the active duty Marine Corps has just 24 infantry battalions?

[gonzo]

"...The return of Marine Reserve combat battalions to Iraq would begin in 2008, according to a senior Marine officer who discussed the subject on condition he not be identified because no official announcement has been made. Thus, the first picked to go back probably would be remobilized next year to train for the mission.

The plan, put forward by Gen. Michael Hagee, the Marine commandant, could be modified as the situation in Iraq changes, officials said. For planning purposes, the Marines are working out future force rotations that would include at least one Reserve combat battalion starting in 2008.

If it happens in 2007, it would be called a 'build-up'. So why talk about 2008 now? Unless Allied troops moving towards Al Basrah today is important...............FRegards

[freema]

Ping

[sergeantdave]

Classical gobbledygook.

"The plan to remobilize those reserve forces is designed to relieve some of the growing strain on active-duty Marines."

Says who? No attribution. This is the propagandist's opinion, nothing more.

"The Marines have decided to take this unusual step in order to alleviate a problem that both the Marines and the Army are wrestling with as the Iraq war rages on unabated: wear-and-tear on the active-duty troops, who are getting far less time at home to recuperate and retrain than military leaders would like."

Source? Again, no attribution.

"The Marines, for example, are not doing as much training for large-scale, high-intensity combat - combining their air, land and sea forces - as they normally would do, officials said. They do, however, have the time to do high-intensity combat training on a smaller scale, in addition to counterinsurgency training for Iraq missions."

What "officials?" He started with an unnamed Marine officer who suddenly grew into "officials said."

"He said officials would examine..."

Which "he?" What "officials?"

This kind of sloppy reporting wouldn't make it past the teacher in a high school journalism class.

Grade - F

[Ben Chad]

D R A F T

[XJarhead]

Does that imply that the active duty Marine Corps has just 24 infantry battalions?

Yes, and that's correct. Three battalions per regiment, three regiments per division, three divisions. That would total 27, except 3rd MarDiv has only two regiments rather than three, giving a total of 24 active-duty infantry battalions. 9th Marines were deactivated in the early '90's, and essentially replaced by three LAV battalions.

That count of 24 omits reconnaissance battalions, which some might count as infantry as well, artillery, engineers, LAV's, anti-tank, etc. And all the reservists. Btw, all of this is extremely public information.