The USS George Washington is heading to Gulf within 96 Hours.

Fox News | 12/27/02

[Sparta]

The USS George Washington has been put on the alert and told to prepare to deploy within 96 hours to the Persian Gulf. Developing....

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

The first new moon in Jan. would be my guess.

January 30th.

[HiJinx]

That would be a good time for President Bush to announce our plans for the rebuilding of Iraq and N. Korea, two nations whose despotic leaders had forced the United States of America into a short-lived but terrifying conflict that resulted in the total annihilation of their governments.

[Miss Marple]

When the carrier arrived, the commander was questioned about why they were there. His answer was that they could be underway in 96 hours IF NECESSARY.

The news here is not the 96 hours, but the fact that Rumsfeld said it IS NECESSARY.

[jackbill]

From the Richmond Times-Dispatch of Dec. 20:

Carrier George Washington Returns

Dec 20, 2002

NORFOLK - The aircraft carrier George Washington returned to the Norfolk Naval Station this morning.

It pulled into port just before 9:30 a.m. to the cheers of friends and family members who endured rainy weather for the welcome.

The George Washington sailed from Norfolk in June and divided its time among the Mediterranean Sea, Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf. It was relieved last week by the carrier Harry S. Truman, which sailed out of Norfolk with its battle group two weeks ago.

Throughout the holidays the George Washington will be designated as the carrier to be deployed immediately if another is needed. Every person in the battle group is required to stay close to a phone and be ready to sail back out within 96 hours.

[relee]

I think the State of the Union is Jan 28th, the day after Blix reports to the U.N.

Thanks, Hack is on Fox News now and he thinks late January is when we'll attack Iraq.

[Quix]

And the rest of the military/command structure sufficiently devastated to prevent more than soldier's attacking SKorea?

Do we have enough? What would it take?

Guesstimate.

Thanks for the quality input on all this. Soooooo glad you are part of FR's assessment teams in such matters. Big thanks.

[Ford Fairlane]

I was supposed to go out for new years with an old college buddy I haven't seen in 2 years, he called from his parent's house Christmas day, same thing, he was back on the carrier late Christmas night.

[steveegg]

For at least the next couple of moon cycles, the new-moon period coincides with daylight in the Northern Hemisphere.

[Poohbah]

And the rest of the military/command structure sufficiently devastated to prevent more than soldier's attacking SKorea?

Absent the nuclear trump card, North Korea has two chances of winning a war with South Korea: slim and none, and slim's on Christmas Vacation.

Do we have enough? What would it take?

Actually, the question is whether we could restrain the ROK forces from charging on the Yalu, assuming that we merely wished to maintain the present status quo and not perform "regime change."

[Ford Fairlane]

Most of the Forrestal class is either still active, or could be on short notice. The Kennedy is another old oil burner, I believe it is in the gulf now.

[Dirk McQuickly]

Thank you for the insight.

[genefromjersey]

I agree - but for different reasons.

God Bless America, and God Bless our Troops -

But God Help the rest of us if President Bush has mis-calculated !

I've seen some of our Freepers enthusing over the high probability of war with Iraq -and N. Korea - and Saudi Arabia - and Yemen - and The Phillipines - and Red China ... Have I left anyone out ? ( Oh yes : Cuba and Mexico. )

I imagine I'm draft exempt, by reason of age and prior military service - ( You won't see a lot of 68 year olds being called up, no matter how bad it gets ! ) - but I'm not quite as sure about you hot-blooded, eager-for-war " young ' uns ".

Maybe - just maybe the all-volunteer Armed Forces, the Reserves, and the National Guard will be enough - but, looking at the potential for conflict on a worldwide scale, I kind of doubt it !

When you get that Draft Notice in the mail, don't whine about it !

Please be honest enough to say : I'm one of the folks who encouraged this war, and I'm proud to be a part of it !

[DoctorHydrocal]

One of my best employees, an army reservist, just came into my office to tell me he got call at work and has been ordered report for active duty beginning on New Year's Eve. He has a wife and young son. I am not sure if the tears in my eyes right now are from how proud I am of him or the sense of loss and fear. He is Infantry. I guess this war stuff is getting personal now.

[Domestic Church]

Doesn't that new moon/daylight configuration give us an extended window of opportunity?

[chilepepper]

They won't activate the BB simply because it takes so many sailors to man a BB, even a modernized one... the sailors would be more efficiently utilized elsewhere - the day of the BB really is past, unless someone can fit an interstellar drive into them and make them air-tight! (idea stolen fair and square from Japanese anime of the space-going Yamato!)

[Quix]

I'm real AGHAST to realize how MUCH the commie-crazies-left have usurped and won for now the media/word turf in our land.

We have the cleverness and creativity hereon to overwhelm them if we'd get motivated and apply it. AND WE DURN WELL NEED TO BEFORE SKULLERY/HITLERY STARTS MORE OVERTLY FOR THE WHITEHOUSE!!!

Certainly bumper stickers and T-shirts AT LEAST!

The transfer paper worked fine with my EPSON PHOTO STYLUS printer and hand ironing. But you need to follow the directions carefully--make sure the iron is hot enough and the pressure on long enough. Peeling the backing off was a pain the 2nd time. OK the first time.

I love the village idiot examples. Did you copyright them?

I'd be happy to work on wording if you are an artist.

Blessings, please keep us posted.

[relee]

Let's hope for the best.

1. He may get posted stateside
2. He may be sent to Europe
3. He may not be on active duty for a long time

[Sparta]

We have the Kittyhawk and a think another carrier to deal with NKs if they step out of line.

[Ford Fairlane]

Oops... should have said Forrestal / Kitty Hawk, I had a brain fart & forgot they renamed the last 4 of the series.

[RaceBannon]

I think the Tarawa was in the Indian Ocean the fall of 79, right? We on the Okinawa came in a few months after we stopped in Subic.