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Author
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Topic: Wow!!! Massive troops buildup
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Kindgo
Advanced Member
Member # 2
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posted
Yes its rather amazing... Saddam Hussein is
crazy and everyone must agree with him or he will kill them, so nobody speaks up and says hey we goina lose, no way can we win, but then again he could plan on using his WMD and kill em all..
I am praying for all the troops
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God bless,
Kindgo
Inside the will of God there is no failure. Outside the will of God there is no success.
Posts: 4320 | From: Sunny Florida | Registered: Jun 2002
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Cameron
Advanced Member
Member # 1090
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posted
They can't possibly think they have any chance of winning. Especially if Australia gets fully involved ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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Why do we care what people think of us when we know what God thinks of us?
Posts: 332 | From: Queensland, Australia | Registered: Feb 2003
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Kindgo
Advanced Member
Member # 2
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posted
Fast Facts: The Iraqi Military
Thursday, January 09, 2003
Iraqi Army | Iraqi Air Force
Iraqi Army
Overview:
• The Iraqi Army has been in disarray following the Gulf War, suffering serious equipment loses, damage to production facilities and continuing supply problems. The Iraqis were forced to cannibalize many vehicles for the parts needed to keep more advanced equipment in service.
• The role of the armed forces is to protect the president and the ruling Baath Military Party (BPMB), to preserve internal security and to
confront the external enemies of the state.
• The size of the Iraqi army -- estimated at 350,000 soldiers -- is much smaller following the Gulf War. This may have led to increased
command efficiency, but its effectiveness is still in question.
• Most of the army's lower ranks are made up of conscripts, serving for periods of 18 to 24 months.
• The number of regular army divisions was cut from seven armored/mechanized and 20 infantry divisions to two or three armor divisions, three mechanized divisions and 15 to 17 infantry divisions.
• Saddam Hussein and his close advisers rule the military through the BPMB. The bureau has the responsibility of forming policy from a military and political point of view.
• In 1998, Saddam divided the country into four military commands designed to prevent popular uprisings. Each was under the command of one of Saddam's trusted inner circle. The commands were suspended in June 2000, but can be activated if the need once again arises. The four commands are the Southern Region, the Northern Region, the Central Euphrates Region and the Central Region.
Special Republican Guard (SRG):
• Reported to be supervised by Saddam's son Qusay Saddam Hussein, its commander is Staff MG Kheir-Allah Waheed Omar
al-Nassiri.
• The super-elite military force's mission is to protect Saddam's regime, as well as the security of Baghdad.
• The SRG numbers approximately 26,000 men.
• It consists of four infantry brigades with a total of 14 infantry battalions. This force is augmented with armor, artillery and air defense
units.
• The SRG is the only divisional strength unit allowed to be based in central Baghdad, where it has tight control of key government installations and Republican Palace.
• Potential recruits undergo exhaustive background checks; ethnic and family background is included.
Iraqi Air Force
Overview:
• According to sources within the Iraqi National Congress (INC), the Iraqi Air Force has 350 operational aircraft. However, the definition of
"operational" is questionable, and this number may be inflated. According to Jane's Information, only 90 of the estimated 750 combat aircraft available during the Gulf War are now operational.
• Iraq now has only about 17 air squadrons, compared to a pre-Desert Storm 41 squadrons.
• Before the Gulf War, the IAF had 60 functioning airfields. However, a quarter of these has been rendered unusable because they are located in the no-fly zone.
• The serious losses of the 1991 Gulf War had not been replaced due to sanctions, but new engines and other spare parts for Mig-23 and 25's from Syria.
• International sanctions have prevented Iraqi access to overseas maintenance and repair facilities, although spare parts for MIG-23s
and MIG-25s enter the nation from Syria. Iraq has also been unable to acquire new modern aircraft or improve in-air refueling capabilities.
• The combat efficiency of the IAF is considered very low.
Commanders (as of late 2001):
• Air Force Commander: General Hamid Rajah Shalah
• Assistant for Operations: General Saad Ahmad Naji
• Commander of Aviation: General Ibrahim Ali Youssef
• Commander of AF Training: General Sabah Mutlik
• Air Force Intelligence Commander: General Hussein Zibin
Inventory:
Interceptors
• 30 MIG-23ML "Flogger-G"
• 5 MIG-25PD "Foxbat-E"
• 4 MIG-29 "Fulcrum-A"
Air Defense/Attack
• 20 Dassault Mirage F1EQ/BQ
• 30 MIG-21PF/MF "Fishbed-D/J"
Attack
• 20 Sukhoi Su-22M "Fitter-J"
• 5 Sukhoi Su-24K "Fencer-D"
• 10 Sukhoi Su-25K "Frogfoot-A"
Combat Helicopters
• 2 Bell 214ST
Transport
• 2 Antonov An-24 "Coke"
• 6 Antonov An-26 "Curl"
• 1 Ilyushin Il-76 "Candid"
Source: Jane's Information, Global Security.com
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,74743,00.html
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God bless,
Kindgo
Inside the will of God there is no failure. Outside the will of God there is no success.
Posts: 4320 | From: Sunny Florida | Registered: Jun 2002
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Kindgo
Advanced Member
Member # 2
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posted
Wow!!! Massive troops buildup-----U.S. deployments near 300,000
U.S. deployments near 300,000
60,000 Army troops called up; more ships head out
March 4 — With 300,000 personnel in the gulf region by the end of the week, there may be no turning back for the United States. NBC’s Andrea Mitchell reports.
NBC, MSNBC AND NEWS SERVICES
March 4 — The number of U.S. troops positioned or on their way for a possible war against Iraq was nearing 300,000 on Tuesday as three amphibious Navy ships carrying 4,500 sailors and Marines joined the buildup and 60,000 Army personnel prepared for action. The orders mean that before the first shot has even been fired, the total U.S. deployment already far outstrips the 250,000 personnel who fought in the Gulf War 12 years ago.
A U.S. OFFICIAL, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the 60,000 new personnel as follow-on forces, which could mean they would be used as a second wave after an initial invasion or as part of a postwar force.
They include 10,000 from the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Polk, La.; 17,000 from the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood in Texas, to be augmented by 7,000 reserves; 26,000 from the 1st Armored Division; two brigades from Germany; and a brigade from Fort Riley, Kan.
The deployment orders, first reported Monday by NBC News, were issued late last week.
As the troops prepared for possible battle, Army Gen. Tommy Franks, who would command a war in Iraq, was traveling Tuesday from U.S. Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Fla., to begin two days of meetings in Washington, officials said.
AMPHIBIOUS SHIPS HEAD OUT
In Norfolk, Va., the USS Iwo Jima, an amphibious assault ship, left Norfolk Naval Station on its maiden deployment Tuesday, along with the USS Nashville, an amphibious transport dock ship. The USS Carter Hall, an amphibious dock landing ship, left from nearby Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base.
The ships, which carried about 2,000 sailors, were headed to Morehead City, N.C., to pick up about 2,200 Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit based at Camp Lejeune.
“Trust me, we all want to go over there and get it over with,” said Capt. David C. Taylor, commander of Amphibious Squadron Six. He said the crews had trained hard and had been ready to go since late November.
A banner reading “Let’s Roll” hung from the Iwo Jima, the lead ship of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group. The banner also bore a quote from President Bush — “We will not tire, we will not falter, we will not fail” — and a drawing of the twin towers of the World Trade Center.
Crew members made the banner to remind them of the purpose of their mission, said Capt. John Snedeker Jr., commanding officer of the Iwo Jima. “You can actually feel the energy coming out of the Iwo Jima today,” he said.
Since late August, 38 Navy ships carrying 29,000 sailors have deployed from Norfolk, most of them to the Middle East and Mediterranean region.
Many of the piers of the naval station, the world’s largest navy base, are empty. About half of the 75 ships based in Norfolk are at sea.
NIMITZ SHIPS OUT
Monday, 8,000 sailors and airmen aboard the USS Nimitz, an aircraft carrier, and eight support ships left San Diego for the gulf region.
The nuclear-powered carrier left harbor under an overcast sky shortly as loudspeakers blared “Hero,” the theme from “Spider-Man.” Sailors in dress blues lined the decks in traditional military stances as their loved ones blew kisses, waved U.S. flags and shouted tearful good-byes.
“This is so depressing, yet it is so beautiful at the same time,” said Janice Riepl, gazing at her fiancé, Kris Parrow, standing stiffly aboard the Nimitz with his hands behind his back. Prevented by regulations from waving goodbye or blowing a kiss, Parrow barely flinched when Riepl shouted “I love you!”
Family and friends of Nimitz crew members show their support as the carrier battle group leaves San Diego.
The Nimitz is expected to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln while joining four other carrier battle groups operating within striking distance of Iraq.
“The fact that five carriers have been deployed to the region at the same time tells you what kind of campaign it’s going to be,” said Loren Thompson, a defense analyst with the Lexington Institute, a conservative policy organization in Arlington, Va. “It’s going to be an overwhelming air assault that reduces every facet of Iraqi military capability in a few days. This war is going to be over pretty quickly.”
MORE LETHAL THAN IN ’91
The Lincoln, the USS Kitty Hawk and the USS Constellation are already in the gulf. The USS Harry S. Truman and the USS Theodore Roosevelt are in the eastern Mediterranean, within striking range of Iraq.
Typically, each carrier travels with a battle group of at least two cruisers, a destroyer and a submarine. Aboard each carrier is an air wing with about 70 aircraft, about 50 of which are strike planes, such as F/A-18 Hornets and F-14 Tomcats. The Nimitz is taking two squadrons of F/A-18 Super Hornets, which have a longer range and more firepower than older Hornets.
Today’s carrier air wings are far more lethal than they were during the 1991 Gulf War.
Each of the six carrier air wings can now hit 700 targets per day in any weather, day and night, thanks to precision-guided munitions, Thompson said. During Desert Storm, an air wing could handle 200 targets a day, fewer at night or in bad weather.
Air wing commanders today speak of the number of targets a single plane can hit instead of the number of planes required to hit a single target.
“The U.S. has deployed this many carriers before, but it’s never deployed this much striking power,” Thompson said.
The deployment of the Nimitz means half of the Navy’s 12 aircraft carriers are massing in the Middle East.
The Lincoln left Everett, Wash., on July 20 and was on its way home New Year’s Day when it was ordered back to the gulf. Its deployment, now stretching into its eighth month, is one of the longest of any carrier since the 1980s.
KUWAIT HOUSES MOST
U.S. officials said 230,000 U.S. troops were now in the gulf region, part of the biggest call-up since reservists were mobilized during the Gulf War.
Kuwait is hosting more than 110,000 U.S. personnel packed into the country’s north.
U.S. troops also are in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Thirty-eight thousand more personnel are offshore in the region awaiting orders.
Britain is sending 35,000 men and women — including a quarter of its army and its biggest naval task force in two decades.
In northern Kuwait, U.S. troops are massing in white tents, bustling mess halls and training grounds with shooting ranges, mock cities and Bradley Fighting Vehicles.
At base camps there are gyms with state-of-the-art cardiovascular machines, movie theaters, fast-food restaurants set up in trailers and PXs stocked with everything from Coca-Cola to DVDs to Mideastern tobacco pipes.
A chapel set up in a tent at Camp Arifjan, the U.S. military’s main logistics base south of Kuwait City, has heat, air conditioning and a digital hymn player.
Despite pervasive pro-U.S. sentiment among Kuwaitis, a rarity in the Muslim world, three serious attacks on Americans here since October have killed a U.S. Marine and a U.S. civilian contracted to the U.S. military. Shots have been fired on U.S. convoys carrying equipment and personnel.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/870749.asp?0dm=C16MN&cp1=1
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God bless,
Kindgo
Inside the will of God there is no failure. Outside the will of God there is no success.
Posts: 4320 | From: Sunny Florida | Registered: Jun 2002
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