U.S. Begins Largest Rotation of Soldiers in History

Fox News ^ | Feb. 22, 2004

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait

[Poundstone]

The need to rotate troops is easy to understand.

The need to rotate equipment is not as easy to understand. In certain cases, such as helicopters, the incoming troops (in this case, including Marines) may use different types of helos than the outgoing troops (Army) have been using -- no problem there: gotta rotate that equipment.

But trucks?

I don't see the need to rotate equipment that is (a) identical to what the incoming troops will use; or (b) may not be exactly the same (different type trucks, for example), but is similar enough so that the incomers can quickly get up to speed on it.

Is much of the "old" equipment in need of major maintenance? Maybe so, but that argues for establishing a high-volume maintenance depot in Kuwait instead of going the far more costly route of shipping the stuff out of theater and bringing in new equipment.

[Uncle Miltie]

Welcome home Oscar & Phil. Good luck Tim & Preston. G-d bless them all.

HOOOOOAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait  — Nearly a quarter-million U.S. soldiers are within weeks of passing through this desert kingdom on their way to or from the war in neighboring Iraq...

"This is a breathtaking, history-making operation," said Army Maj. Gen. Stephen M. Speakes, who runs the rotation from this sand-blown base south of Kuwait City.

...About 130,000 U.S. soldiers in Iraq will go home and 110,000 will take their places for about a year, in Operation Iraqi Freedom 2.

Already, as many as 4,000 trucks are on the road between Kuwait and Iraq at any moment...

...The mark of final success...is to move the 250,000 troops and their gear without reducing the firepower available to the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez.

"We want him to say he never noticed it," Speakes said.

 

Our thoughts and prayers go with you!

Thanks, SAMWolf!

[Brad’s Gramma]

Ping-an-Eric-ling!

[arm958]

Is much of the "old" equipment in need of major maintenance? Maybe so, but that argues for establishing a high-volume maintenance depot in Kuwait instead of going the far more costly route of shipping the stuff out of theater and bringing in new equipment.

Rotating equipment struck me as rather inefficient too. However, I think you are right about the need for major maintenance. Perhaps it's just too costly to establish a major maintenance facility in Kuwait. There is a lot of heavy, specialized equipment involved in depot level maintenance, and most of the people who do it are civilians.

[McGavin999]

That is incredible. I can't even imagine what it must take to accomplish something like that. If they pull it off, it will be absolutely historic.

[NormsRevenge]

Bump for your tagline :-]

God Bless Our Troops and their families and all those involved with

Operation Iraqi FReedom 2 2004

[arm958]

Thanks for posting this article. Logistics always has been an unsung but essential factor in wartime success.

[Poundstone]

Maybe someone who has some knowledge on this subject will weigh in and shed some light on this.

[stilts]

Actually, many of the helicopters are the same equipment also. My brother-in-law flies choppers for the Marine Reserves and is being rotated in to replace their sister unit which is on the east coast as opposed to his west coast unit. They sent in the same choppers.

What you need to keep in mind is that the returning soldiers will need to have equipment at the base they return to. They left base with all their equipment so if they leave their stuff in Iraq then the other equipment would be needed to be moved to the bases they return to.

[PhilDragoo]

Already, as many as 4,000 trucks are on the road between Kuwait and Iraq at any moment...

[Poundstone]

"Actually, many of the helicopters are the same equipment also. My brother-in-law flies choppers for the Marine Reserves and is being rotated in to replace their sister unit which is on the east coast as opposed to his west coast unit. They sent in the same choppers.

What you need to keep in mind is that the returning soldiers will need to have equipment at the base they return to. They left base with all their equipment so if they leave their stuff in Iraq then the other equipment would be needed to be moved to the bases they return to."

Thanks and I appreciate that, but I have two comments:

a. While many troops use the same equipment, remember that a large portion of the new, incoming troops are Marines. They don't fly the Apache or the Chinook; and the Army doesn't fly the Cobra or the CH-46. Thus, at a minimum, the Army and Marine aviation units need to switch some helicopters.

b. This is exactly my point: if the incoming and outgoing troops could use mostly the same equipment already located in Iraq, then you wouldn't have to ship so much stuff out or return it to the U.S. or Europe.

[Terry Mross]

Welcome home my nephew, Top Sgt. David Gussberry. Well done, son! I'm proud of you!

[archy]

That is incredible. I can't even imagine what it must take to accomplish something like that. If they pull it off, it will be absolutely historic.

Amateurs and cadets in military academies study strategy and tactics. Professionals sweat the logistics.

[Prodigal Son]

One thing to keep in mind. Some of these units in Iraq who might have been stationed in say- Georgia, might be replaced by troops from Germany. So upon arriving to their home station, they would not have any equipment and would not be able to deploy to a new theatre without somehow aquiring the trucks and other vehicles they left behind in Iraq.

[ohioWfan]

May it all go like CLOCKWORK!!

[blackie]

We are winning ~ the bad guys are losing ~ terrorists and the democrats are sad ~ very sad!

~~ Bush/Cheney 2004 ~~

[Chewbacca]

"Is much of the "old" equipment in need of major maintenance?"

I work for the USAF, and you have to understand that military equipment has scheduled Depot Level Maintenance (DLM)plans which requires the equipment to be sent in for overhaul or inspections on a scheduled time frame.

For example, some aircraft require various field level inspection between 100 to 1000 hours. Besides the field level inspections there is the required DLM maintenance where all the Ultrasonic/X-Ray/Eddy Current inspections are conducted on critical support structures, special inspections for cracks are conducted, and hard to replace parts and equipment are changed.

[mystery-ak]

Looks like Mike is bringing up the rear...the last to deploy home in May.