Dumb he ain't. Madman Sadamn and friends will know, before you and I, when equipment and men are being moved, and where they're going. It will come from his own spies, and eagerly confirmed by our internal traitor enemies who believe our external enemies have a right to our technology in the stupid belief that we won't fight an enemy who has the same ability to kill our servicemen and women. Case in point - the tech give-a-way by the anti-American Clinton administration to our enemies in China. China is now sharing that high-tech with the Madman. Good to know something as mundane as war isn't interfering with anti-American greed and gluttony of American global business.
There's only one viable way I see to handle the Middle East and give our troops and sailors any relief from these annual call ups. Return the MED SEA Operations Area to a Cold War strenght force. Place At least one other carrier group in or very near the IO 24/7/365 as well. This of course means a build up. That is needed anyway after the overzealiousness in the RIF's of the military in the past 12 years.
But to be realistic about it we either need to do this or stay home. The ships, the crews, the special forces, and others are being over deployed, over extended, and spread way too thin. A long term solution is a return to Cold War era patrols and presense. At least we would be on station and strikes within hours or days and not weeks to months. We should be able to handle our own matters with our own equipment. Congress should see to it we can.