U.S. troops parachute into northern Iraq - CNN

Reuters | 3/26/03

[Mystix]

Jump right out and shout MARINE CORPS!!!
If my shoot dont open wide, I got a reserve by my side.
If that shoot should fail me too, I'll hit the ground before you do

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Salute !

[Snardius]

Airborne guys are a lot smarter than you think!

Never would I question the intellect of Airborne. I posted the punchline of a very old joke I heard right before my first jump (without a static line). :)

[archy]

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.

The Iraqi T-72Z upgrade of the T-55 [not to be condfused with the T-72 tank, though the rebuilt T55s are used to replace the T-72s Saddam lost in 1991, so the designation is appropriate, though derived from the moslem calender year] uses the gun and autoloader of the T-72, with all the features- and shortcomings- that system has to offer. but the Turks at one time considered fitted with a NATO-standard 120mm gun with a bustle-mounted autoloader that might have been adaptable to a *blowoff panel* protected storage area better arranged for crew survivability; General Dynamics offered the Turks something similar, a M1A1-style turret to be retrofitted to their M60/M60A1/M48 chassis, designated M60-2000. But if that 120mm gun and loader setup could be worked into a T-55 upgrade, THAT would be something. For additional, see the FReeppost and thread *here*, particularly the links in responses 51, 59 and 75.

-archy-/-

[archy]

Now that the airfield has been secured, it's unlikely any cargo will be air dropped. This info. gives an idea of the capabilities, and to note: the info. is now several years old so the limitations are probably greater by now.

True of much of the materiel to be delivered, but not one particularly critical component of an Infantry or Cavalry unit's gear: the M3 Bradley. The Integrated Sight System of a Bradley won't withstand the stress of airdrops or LAPES delivery, so landings of any delivery aircraft will be required for them, at least. And neither would it be surprising if at least some of the aircraft ferrying troops and supplies need to land to refuel anyway.<p. -archy-/-

[cavtrooper21]

My god-father (may he live forever!!) dropped in Normandy, Market-Garden and over the Rhine. He started the war as a Private and ended as a 1st Lt filling a intell billet...
He's the main reason I went to Jump School and has been my role model since I was a kid...
He'll smack you up side of the head if you refer to him as a "hero" within earshot, but whenever I think of a heroic figure, its him.
He has never spoken much about the war, but we did have a long talk after I came back from the Gulf in '91. He spoke alot that day, and ever since then, I've thanked God on a daily basis the we have men like him on our side.

[cavtrooper21]

After reading your posts, I can only assume that you are a professional "treadhead"...
I spent some years of my sevice in a ACR but never really took much interest in the heavies. They were nice to have around, but still.. Wasn't till the GW that I really got to see them strut their stuff, and ever since then I've been a fan.

[JPop]

While in Okinawa, before being deployed to Vietnam (in May 65), the 173d's commander was a big fan of the tv series "Rawhide," about a bunch of cowhands moving big herds of cattle, etc. Thus, the morning wake-up call (reveille) blaring out of huge speakers, was usually the sound track to Rawhide, 'head em, move em out, keep them doggies moving!--RAWHIDE!, RAWHIDE! (or something like that!).
Thus, they started calling themselves "The Herd."

[JPop]

Did you ever hear of Dak To? (1967, the central highlands, if I recall correctly) That was them, perhaps some other infantry too, can't recall offhand.

[freepersup]

Today, an embedded reporter remarked how young the members of the armed forces are, over in Iraq. It's like that in most wars. In studying the clashes of the combat forces during WWII, I find the actions of these heroic young men to be amazing. When I reflect on my personal encounters with these warriors, that have aged into a generation best described as our country's most distinguished senior citizens, I feel as if I am in the presence of royalty.

That's quite a resume your god-father has. It's a common denominator with many veterans of combat, in how they shy away from being referred to as a hero.

'Band of brothers' is more than a great series of dramatic documentaries chronicling troops in combat, it's a bond amongst men in combat forged by baptism under fire. Now, you and your god-father share this knowledge first hand.

A lot of doo doo hit the fan when I was in the military, but the call for deployment into a hostile environment never materialized.

I tip my hat to all of my comrades in arms, past, present, and future. Thank you one and all, for your service and sacrifice.

[freepersup]

Interesting fact about the Bradley. I wonder if there is an active design program working on fixing this weakness, so that it can be dropped in the future ?

An excerpt on the 173RD's jump from a recent news article-

The soldiers, mostly members of the Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade, based in Vicenza, Italy, included rifle companies, platoons armed with mortars and anti- tank missiles, engineers for clearing mines, sniper teams, long-range surveillance teams, Air Force ground teams and humvees equipped with missiles and .50-caliber machine guns.

* I saw a vehicle on the news tonight, that looked like a lightweight version of a deuce and a half, that would have been air-dropped in with the 173RD.

[freepersup]

a bump back at ya, and a crisp salute too-

[Eric in the Ozarks]

In 1965, I was a sophomore in high school.
I grew up as an Army brat in Japan, 1951-1961. My dad worked for the Japan Procurement Agency in Tokyo, an Army/State Department outfit that bought things for the Army and Air Force in the Far East (Japan-Korea)and carried out a State Department charge to funnel US money into deserving Asian industries. In the early 1950s, Japanese truck maker Isuzu was near bankruptcy and wanted to make something--anything for the US Army. My dad brought in a brand new Dodge Duce & a Half truck from the states and Isuzu copied it exactly, right down to the tool kit. They returned to financial health by shipping these 2 1/2 ton trucks all over Asia, including Korea and Viet Nam for decades.

[centex99]

I have a friend on the ground there. In fact, he surveyed the landing zone prior to their arrival. I asked him the same question, since I knew the Kurds controlled that airfield. His explanation makes sense. They did it to get the gold star on their wings. Land at friendly airfield = no gold star. Make "combat" drop = gold star. The gold stars are extremely rare these days, so you grab any chance you have to get one.

[freepersup]

slight correction- one to four combat jumps merit bronze stars, the fifth earns a gold star- five combat jumps is fairly rare- good news- the 'technical' police aren't issuing a warrant-

part of the reason the jump was made, and not an air assault or an airlift per se, was because command wanted to send a message that we can deploy a substantial force anywhere, anytime- part of in theater psyops-

no doubt, some risk / danger was involved in an airlift strategy, which was minimized by the jump-

[Centurion2000]

interesting ....

[Dog Gone]

I haven't seen any reports of injuries, so I guess I don't have any objection to it.