Transfers 'ready to fight' in Iraq

Published August 1, 2004

The 3,600 soldiers will leave bases in South Korea, within range of 12,000 North Korean artillery pieces a few miles north of the tense border, and head for the harsh heat and deadly roadside and suicide bombs in and around Baghdad.

His troops are "confident and very sober" about going into combat in a place where 909 U.S. troops had died as of Thursday, Army Maj. Gen. John C. Wood, commander of the 2nd Infantry Division, said in an interview with The Washington Times.

"This is not false bravado," Gen. Wood said. "They know they're ready to fight. They were ready to fight [North Korea] and are trained and ready to fight the next [foe]."

Gen. Wood's 2nd Infantry is in charge of what the Army calls the 2nd Combat Team, most of the 2nd Brigade, which is bound for Iraq. Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade are deploying to another theater of conflict for the first time since U.S. forces arrived in 1950 to fight on the Korean Peninsula with U.N. forces.

"Although this was an unexpected call, it's certainly understandable, given the readiness of this force," said Gen Wood, who himself is not deploying to Iraq.

The two-star general said the team, trained and equipped for "combat against the North Koreans," was retrained and equipped over the past two months to adjust to fighting a war either on city streets or desert battlefields in Iraq.

Bet these kids are studs...at least as much as me and larry were when we were sniveling, complaining grunts...

But that's gotta suck. Some of the units who have transferred in and out will at least have had sister batallions rotating in and out.

Going in without having anybody in the unit who's "Been Here and Done That" would have to tighten your fundament.

Prayers, happy thoughts, warm fuzzies sent to those that are going over.

2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2ID

1-503 IN (AA) Airmobile light infantry

1-506 IN (AA) Airmobile light infantry

1-9 IN Mechanized Infantry with 58 Bradleys

Long Range Surveillance Det

2-17 FA "Steel" 155mm SP

2nd FSB "Mustang"

44th ENG Bn

Battery B, 5th Bn, 5th ADA Rgt

The airmobile infantry is training to be motorized infantry.

'Steel Battalion' readies for Iraq duty

‘Band of Brothers’ unit training for its new role

Iraq-bound troops train to go on offensive if convoy is attacked

I've posted the following a few times before. Although these brave men have been in the sights of the enemy for awhile now in Korea - they are no doubt entering into a more active zone. I pray that God will watch over these men and give them good leaders, keen knowledge and strong hearts.

The following was originally printed in a daily devotional that my Mom gave to my Dad as he was shipped off on a minesweeper to the Pacific in WW II. The book is called “Strength for Service to God and Country”. This devotional was for SEPTEMBER 11 - a date that fits well with the subject and our recent history. Written by Dovert Walton McElroy, First Christian Church, El Paso, TX.

CHOSEN TO SUFFER

“They therefore departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name.” (Acts 5:41).

All of us are called upon to suffer in one way or another. Much of our suffering goes to waste because it is not geared up with an all-compelling purpose. A great cause, such as liberty, chooses men who are big enough to suffer, men who “can take it.” It chooses men who have the stuff in them to endure hardships; who can laugh at privations; who are willing to give up privileges, comforts, and ease. It chooses men like the apostles who, after being treated in a most shameful way and cruelly flogged, came from that experience rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ.

Great causes have a way of choosing men who are worthy to suffer. And it is through men that suffer that great causes come to victory. The highest blessings that we enjoy today came in this way. Christ on the cross, Washington at Valley Forge, Lincoln baited by newspapers and even by his cabinet members, and a few among many who were chosen to suffer for great purposes and were found worthy – bringing victory to the cause that chose them.

In these days, the great cause of liberty is again choosing men to suffer for its sake. Shall we who are chosen be found worthy?

Prayer:

Our Father, we are being called upon to suffer for the sake of all men everywhere. The great cause of liberty, with all that it means, is calling for men who are worthy. Wilt Thou make us worthy in every way. Keep the high purpose of freedom upper-most in our hearts, and cleanse us from all selfishness. Dedicate us anew to the high cause of world brotherhood, and give us the victory of an enduring peace. And so shall our suffering be not in vain. In the Spirit of Christ we pray. Amen

Thanks for the URL. The last time I was aware of the table of organization of mechanized infantry divisions, they had 6 batallions(Bn) of Bradley Fighting Vehicles, one of which may have been the division's cavalry squadron, and 5 battalions of Abrams tanks. This was allocated amongst the 3 brigade headquarters as needed, i.e. usually assigned to one brigade, but could be attached to another as needed. An armored division had one more armored(tank) batallion and one less Bradley(mechanized infantry) Bn.

With the current reorganization going on now, it's my understanding that each division will eventually have 4 maneuver brigades and an aviation brigade.

The 2ID's 1st Brigade(Bde) had the following units:
1-72 AR "First Tank", i.e. 1st Bn, 72nd Armored Regiment
2-72 AR "Dragon Force", i.e. 2nd Bn, 72nd Armored Regiment
2-9 IN (M) "Manchu", 2nd Bn, 9th Infantry Regiment(Mechanized)
Brigade Combat Team
1-15 FA "First to Fire", i.e. 1st Bn, 15th Field Artillery Regiment
2nd ENG Bn (Engineer)
302nd FSB "Iron Horse" (Forward Support Bn)

The 2nd Bde Units:
1-503 IN (AA), i.e. 1st Bn, 503rd Infantry Regiment(Air Assault)
1-506 IN (AA), i.e. 1st Bn, 506th Infantry Regiment(Air Assault)
1-9 IN, 1st Bn, 9th Infantry Regiment, i.e. unqualified straight leg infantry battalion
Long Range Surveillance Det
Brigade Combat Team
2-17 FA "Steel"
2nd FSB "Mustang"
44th ENG Bn
Battery B, 5th Bn, 5th ADA Rgt

The 3rd Bde units:
1-23 IN "Tomahawk" (straight leg infantry battalion)
2-3 IN (straight leg infantry battalion)
5-20 IN (straight leg infantry battalion)
1/14 CAV, i.e. 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment
Brigade Combat Team
1-37 FA (T) (M198), N.B. (T) means towed, not self-propelled artillery as in a mechanized infantry division
168th ENG Bn
296th FSB
Charlie 5/5 ADA Bn
334th Signal Co.
18th EN Co.
209th MI Co.
C/52 Anti-Tank Co.

I suspect that the combat support and combat service support units of each brigade's combat team are assigned the way they appear to be, is more for administrative than tactical reasons, but I could be wrong. Each Bde appears to have at least an engineer Bn, which is unusual.

As for the 2ID's three manuever brigades:

The 1st Bde is an armored brigade, i.e. 2 tank battalions(Bn) and one mechanized infantry Bn.

The 2nd Bde is an air assault infantry Bde re-inforced with a straight leg Bn.

The 3rd Bde is an infantry Bde, i.e. 3 straight leg infantry battalions, not air assault qualified.

An old definition of a maneuver brigade was that it could be comprised of 2 to 7 maneuver battalions, those maneuver battalions are typically infantry or tank battalions, but never only tank battalions.

I don't know how well you understand how U.S. Army units are and were organized. This was also intended for those who don't.

The brigade going to Iraq from the 2ID will be a new Stryker Brigade, IIRC.

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