U.S. troops parachute into northern Iraq - CNN

Reuters | 3/26/03

[kattracks]

U.S. troops parachute into northern Iraq - CNN

WASHINGTON, March 26 (Reuters) - About 1,000 U.S. troops have parachuted into northern Iraq and seized an airfield in Kurdish-controlled territory, CNN reported on Wednesday.

The network said the troops were from the 173rd airborne brigade and seized the airfield to clear the way for armored tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles.

03/26/03 17:23 ET

[TheClintons-STILLAnti-American]

"Here is a fairly complete and detailed TO&E for the Iraq Theater. Not classified. no locations... just units"

Thanks for that link....sheesh, no wonder planning takes so long.

[cavtrooper21]

Do they still stow the rounds and propellant out in the turret ring even with the loader. I've been in a T72m turret and I don't see where they would stash a magazine setup like the Challenger or M1 have. Even so, the design has its inherent problems above and beyond the ammo stoage issues.
All things said, I'm rather glad the Iraqi's were equiped with "monkey" T72s and not the newer T80/84 series with all the goodies in place. Might not have been quite the rollover that it was.

[TheLion]

Glad you enjoyed it....I did myself!

[freepersup]

On a different note: If your post were the thoughts of an Iraqi intelligence officer as an example, and, I believe it's close to what they would know, and, it's close to what they would be asking themselves... because- your information is coming mostly from the press, as would the Iraqi officer's knowledge of coalition forces... so- it's disinformation that has them guessing. It's brilliant.

About your question-

Could the Equipment that was forward positioned be setting either in Turkey or the Turkey occupied Iraq sections awaiting the troops to man it?

You've asked an interesting question. How much equipment was actually unloaded ? Maybe it wasn't ? Or then again, maybe it was and we will be linking up with it ? The 4th ID is on the way.

Another proposition was that instead of taking the equipment to the Kuwaiti port, it would be off loaded in Saudi Arabia, then driven into Iraq, or airlifted to northern Iraq. I suspect some heavy armor is going to northern Iraq, whether it's the 4th ID's, or another armor unit's equipment.

[There's millions of'em]

Airborne!

[TheLion]

Haven't been able to find any info on the A-Team that was over-run. Will post it here if I run across it.

[rdb3]

If I remember right, you may have said this a time or two.

You most certainly remember right, Mark.

Young, American, conservative-transcender, cocky, and black. Don't like it? Sounds like a personal problem to me.

[StriperSniper]

LAND THEM THERE...

We'll do it, but I think it might be cheaper to drive them through the Chunnel, take over France and Germany then anything else in the way. ;-)

[Eric in the Ozarks]

A buddie of mine who'd been in the 101st in Viet Nam had never seen one.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Apologies for poor spelling.
--Eric

[freepersup]

I have not seen one either (gold star on jump wings) I heard of one jumper having this award during a radio broadcast recently. I worked for a company and one of the owners wife's father, had earned four bronze stars on his jump wings for four combat jumps. I think they were St.Mere Eglise, Nijmegan, Salerno, and Sicily.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Definitely rates a salute.

[homeschool mama]

My 12 year old daughter's response, "Whoa! Cool!"

:o) Thanks Archy...I guess tanks certainly *can* fly.

[homeschool mama]

**Sure tanks can fly; it's just that the take-offs and landings are a tad rough. **

That'd be some major 4-wheeling. Ha!

[capitan_refugio]

Well, I suppose 70,000 to 80,000 constitutes "several thousand," don't you? ;^)

[Eric in the Ozarks]

My Viet Nam buddy get 2 Bronze Stars. No Purple Heart, tho.
Did you happen to see Jessie Ventura on TV tonite ? I thought his duty was in the Philippine Islands ?
Why is he talking to Lester Holt about Viet Nam ?

[ChadGore]

Re: GW Vsn 1.0

lol . . I like that

[freepersup]

The woman that I am referring to, that has the dad with the four combat jumps, has taken a tremendous interest in her father's military past. She is an honorary airborne paratrooper (so decreed by combat jump veterans) and is known to active duty paratroopers as Airborne Mom. A room in her home has been converted into an airborne museum, I kid you not.

She and her husband, who used to be my boss, invited me up to watch Band of Brothers on cable TV with them when it first came out. Her father and I shared in a common experience, albeit under vastly different circumstances, and separated by fourty years. I had the pleasure of jumping into Nijmegan, Holland, in honor of the veteran combat jumpers of the 82nd Airborne. This was where Airborne Mom's dad made one of his combat jumps. The occasion of Sep. 17th, 1984, was the fourtieth anniversary of Operation Market Garden, an airborne invasion which took place on Sep. 17th, 1944, and was the allied forces attempt to liberate Holland during WWII.

[Grampa Dave]

I think that was the original plan until the Turks fouled it up.

We will have to watch the 3 way nutcracker go to work.

[goldstategop]

Classic bait and switch. Saddam has maybe one Republican Guard division and several thousand of his Saddam Fedayeen irregulars up north but the bulk of his forces are down south. If we can punch through his line up from Irbil, we can surround Tikrit and the greater Baghdad area in a matter of days. Then Saddam will face an American force from two sides. Perhaps three if another Marine force comes from Al Kut and comes in from the East.