Posted on 02/11/2003 3:10:56 PM PST by demlosers
Divisions, squadrons and carrier battle groups-and the people who serve in them-keep flowing toward the Persian Gulf, steadily building up a formidable force that many observers believe will invade Iraq before spring.
The American Forces Information Service reported Thursday more than 100,000 troops from all services were serving in the region controlled by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which includes the Middle East, Central Asia and eastern Africa. Of those, 9,000 people are involved in supporting ongoing efforts against terrorists in Afghanistan, and would not be counted in the buildup for Iraq.
According to the service, the forces ready to wage war include:
* 35,000 Marines, including 15,000 in Kuwait with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, 7,200 aboard Amphibious Task Force East and 5,000 aboard Amphibious Task Force West;
* 17,850 airmen deployed by the Air Force to the region;
* Three carrier battle groups, each including 8,500 to 10,000 sailors and around 80 aircraft: USS Constellation (CV 64) and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in the Arabian Sea as part of the 5th Fleet, and USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) in the Mediterranean as part of 6th Fleet. A fourth carrier, USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) is "transitioning in support of the global war on terrorism" after finishing training in the Caribbean and a fifth, the USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), is also joining the building force. Five Air Force wings are already in the region, according to a spokeswoman at Air Force Air Combat Command in Langley, Va.. They are the 4th Fighter Wing with F15E Strike Eagles, the 28th Bomber Wing with B-1B Lancer bombers, the 57th Wing with RQ-1 Predator spy drones and HH-60 Combat Search and Rescue helicopters, the 374th Rescue Wing with HC-130 King tankers, and the 49th Fighter Wing with F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighters.
Four other Air Force wings have received orders to deploy, including the 1st Fighter Wing with F-15C Eagles, the 20th Fighter Wing with F-16 C/J Fighting Falcons specially equipped to destroy enemy air defenses, the 116th Air Control Wing with E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack System aircraft and the 55th Wing with RC-135 Rivet Joint electronic intelligence airplanes.
On Thursday, the Pentagon announced it had ordered the Army's 101st Airborne Division, a force totaling 15,000 people and more than 250 helicopters, to deploy to the region.
According to the report, the largest Army unit to deploy so far is the 3rd Infantry Divsion, a heavy force with hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles that is now in Kuwait. The 4th Infantry Division has also received orders to deploy.
GlobalSecurity.org, a Web site which has one of the most detailed, publicly available lists of U.S. forces in the region, reported Friday that 85,000 U.S. troops and 450 aircraft were in CENTCOM's area. Those numbers exclude troops who are "in direct support" of operations in Afghanistan, implying that the bulk of the 85,000 are being concentrated for possible hostilities with Iraq.
Around 170,000 more troops have been ordered to deploy or on alert to deploy, GlobalSecurity said. That makes for a potential 255,000 personnel, not including those that may be provided by the United Kingdom and other allies.
According to the site:
* Around 115,000 Army soldiers are deploying or have been ordered to do so;
* 15,500 Marines are moving to the gulf aboard three major task forces;
* 40,000 sailors and Navy aviators are either on standby or are already moving toward the region in task forces that include 310 aircraft, 62 Naval vessels, 41 cargo vessles and 1,000 cruise missiles.
In recent years, the typical number of U.S. military personnel deployed to the Gulf has fluctuated between 20,000 and 25,000, with around 200 aircraft. In 1991, more than 500,000 U.S. troops, built up over six months, took part in Operation Desert Storm.
Copyright © 2003, King Communications Group
Noted. However, these ships are already days out of port - beyond the reach of the islamic fanatics and their floating car bombs. Facing an enemy with significant naval assets is an entirely different situation, I'll be the first to admit. In any case, I did not have or broadcast knowledge of course, speed or destination.
The threat to these ships lies at the far end of their journey, when they are spotted by Osama's proud human torpedo flotilla. Let 'em come out and have a go...
We'll sink their bones
to Davy Jones - Hooray!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.