U.S. Readies Advisory Mission in Iraq. But What Will it Look Like?

The Washington Post ^ | Friday, June 20, 2014 | Thomas Gibbons-Neff

[kristinn]

Iraq is getting a fresh influx of up to 300 U.S. troops. And while they “will not be returning to combat,” as President Obama said Thursday, they will be taking on a role advising their Iraqi counterparts from the sidelines.

What’s that mean exactly?

Special Operations troops say a big part of the job will likely be providing command-and-control expertise, along with advice on how to integrate ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) feeds to allow for better intelligence-sharing.

Command-and-control entails using service members assigned to use communications gear to connect combat troops with higher command, while ISR refers to various forms of intelligence-gathering, whether it be drones, communication intercepts or human intelligence.

While the type of units deploying to Iraq have yet to be named, some are watching for Army Special Forces as well as some other Special Operations units.

“Army Special Operations Forces is the dominant component under SOCOM in terms of numbers,” said a current Army Special Forces non-commissioned officer, referring to Special Operations Command. “I think the effort is going to be led by [Army Special Operations] leadership and at lower levels you’re going to have some Marine Special Operation Units and some SEALS.”

While Obama alluded to the possibility of airstrikes in the future against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, the officer speculated that the mission is more likely to begin by emulating the U.S. Special Operations missions being carried out in the Philippines.

While American advisers have been in that country for more than a decade, they have stayed mostly out of combat by providing their Filipino counterparts with American-staffed command operation centers from behind friendly lines.

[molson209]

Send a few of the Dudes from the White House

[LeoWindhorse]

the Shiite clerics are already threatening any ‘occupiers’ that try to show up ( to help them )

I say we send in the B-52’s and call it good .
Use up our remaining stocks of iron bombs , 3-4 months
flying out of Diego Garcia , Incelrick and Israel

[MasterGunner01]

Any kind of military action will be a cluster flock. They have no experience in running anything remotely like a military operation and they don’t care who dies. They’d prefer it was American service members because they’ve embraced the Dark Side (enemies of America).

[G Larry]

1-Troops will wear sandals ....no “boots on the ground”.
2-Troops won’t be issued any ammo....since we’re not taking sides.
3-Troops will have targets painted on their backs...cuz Haggle didn’t have the courage to object

[moovova]

Our hero’s greatest enemy will be the Iraqi army. They’ll be shooting our troops in the back every chance they get.

Alahu akbar.

[upchuck]

U.S. Readies Advisory Mission in Iraq. But What Will it Look Like?

Unarmed soldiers carrying buckets of red paint and wide paintbrushes.

[MIchaelTArchangel]

It will probably look a lot like what the advisors in Vietnam looked like in 1962-1964.

[TalBlack]

It's going to look like dead Green Berets. Killing the ‘great Satan's’ advisers will be job one of the butchers whose great uprising the GB's commander in chief Barack Obama has facilitated in every way he could.

[Mike Darancette]

Probably end up spotting targets for Russian fighters.

[SgtBob]