Marines plan to begin sending reserve combat battalions back to Iraq

[sabra]

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/18/america/NA_GEN_US_Iraq_Marines.php

Marines plan to begin sending reserve combat battalions back to Iraq for second tours
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has approved an unannounced U.S Marine Corps plan to recall to active duty and send back to Iraq at least some Marine Reserve combat battalions that have already served one tour there, officials said Wednesday.

This would be the first time that reserve combat battalions — units of several hundred troops each — would be sent to Iraq for a second tour, although other types of reserve units and many active-duty units have done multiple tours.

The Army, which is organized differently than the Marine Corps, has not sent any of its National Guard combat brigades back to Iraq for a second tour, although it is considering making more use of the Guard.

The return of Marine Reserve combat battalions to Iraq would begin in 2008, according to a senior Marine officer who discussed the subject on condition that he not be identified because of its sensitive nature. Thus the first picked to go back probably would be remobilized next year in order to train for the mission.

[wakeme2008]

1. BULLSHIT

"Iraq would begin in 2008"

I am betting early 2007..... :grr:

[Monkeyman]

2. How many more of our brothers have to die before America wakes the

HELL UP

[ECH1969]

3. Rumsfeld OKs plan to recall battalions

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has approved an unannounced Marine Corps plan to recall to active duty and send back to Iraq at least some Marine Reserve combat battalions that have already served one tour there, officials said Wednesday.

This would be the first time that reserve combat battalions - units of several hundred troops each - would be sent to Iraq for a second tour, although other types of reserve units and many active-duty units have done multiple tours.

Rumsfeld on Tuesday verbally approved to the plan, which was put forward by Gen. Michael Hagee, the Marine commandant, according to Lt. Col. Scott Fazekas, a Marine Corps spokesman. Fazekas said that Gen. Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, approved the plan in September.

The Marines have decided to take this unexpected step in order to alleviate a problem that both the Marines and the Army are wrestling with as the Iraq war rages on unabated: wear-and-tear on the active-duty troops, who are getting far less time at home to recuperate and retrain than military leaders would like.

http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/breaking_news/15789664.htm

[Coventina]

4. Hooray! Mission Accomplished!!

:party:

[BOSSHOG]

5. "Wear and tear on the active duty troops"

Imagine that. Another line in bush's legacy. But lets stay the course. Hey rumsfeld make sure these kids get the chance to vote before you ship them off.

[stillcool]

6. I'm confused...

‘Army plans for US troops in Iraq through 2010’
The US Army has enough troops in line to sustain current force levels in Iraq through 2010 but would have to freeze its deployed units in place to meet an emergency elsewhere, the army chief of staff warned last week.
General Peter Schoomaker said the army could surge to meet any foreseeable contingency but questioned how long it could sustain its current rotation of 23 combat brigades worldwide, including 15 brigades in Iraq.
“For any foreseeable contingency right now we have enough brigades. But what would the cost of that be?” he told reporters.
“The cost would be to freeze people in place and to surge. That’s not desirable to me. I don’t think that’s desirable to any of us, over having the ability to sustain a rotation base”.
US commanders have already had to extend the year-long rotations of some units in Iraq to maintain a 142,00-strong force there to try to quell an onslaught of sectarian violence.
Schoomaker said the army has plans in place for two rotations of 15 combat brigades through 2010 in case commanders need to maintain the current force levels for that long.

http://www.mmorning.com/ArticleC.asp?Article=4069&CategoryID=6

[Az_lefty]

7. All this talk of sending in brigades...

from Aug 1, 2006

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than two-thirds of the Army National Guard's 34 brigades are not combat ready due largely to vast equipment shortfalls that will take as much as $21 billion to correct, the top National Guard general said Tuesday.

Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum spoke to a group defense reporters after Army officials, analysts and members of Congress disclosed that two-thirds of the active Army's brigades are not ready for war.

[Monkeyman]

8. Marines don't have the tools but they go anyways

[AlCzervik]

9. Marines Plan to Recall Some Battalions-"they stand up we--nevermind

Marines Plan to Recall Some Battalions

By ROBERT BURNS
ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Marines are drawing up plans to send back to Iraq at least some reserve combat battalions that have already served one tour there, officials said Wednesday - the first time such units would be returned to the war.

The plan to remobilize those reserve forces is designed to relieve some of the growing strain on active-duty Marines.

A Marine Corps spokesman, Lt. Col. Scott Fazekas, said Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld gave the Marines the go-ahead to conduct detailed planning on how the battalion reactivations would be done. Initially, Fazekas said Rumsfeld had approved the plan itself. Later he said the approval was for detailed planning.

Eric Ruff, a spokesman for Rumsfeld, said Wednesday evening that no specific proposals have been presented to Rumsfeld. "The Marines are reviewing a range of options and concepts for future consideration by the secretary and, to date, nothing has been approved," Ruff said.


more at link
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/text/2006/oct/18/101806430.html

[mcscajun]

10. chimpsrsmarter

Please be aware that DU copyright rules require that excerpts of copyrighted material be limited to four paragraphs. Thanks.