Navy to increase numbers inside Iraq

[ECH1969]

The U.S. Navy will try to lift some of the burden off U.S. Army troops in Iraq this year by increasing the number of sailors inside that country and taking on duties soldiers have been doing, according to the Navy's top sailor.

The move is designed to ease the pressure on the stressed and stretched Army in Iraq, which has soldiers doing everything from combat, medical and security duties to countless support operations.

In a briefing to Pentagon reporters Tuesday, Adm. Michael G. Mullen, the Chief of Naval Operations, said the Navy will start playing a bigger role in Iraq by adding to the 4,000 sailors already operating in the country.

Mullen would not say how many sailors he is expecting to put into Iraq or when they will start filling the various duties. He did say the number of sailors would be less than 12,000.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/02/07/iraq.navy/

[blackhorse]

1. The current administration

... often compares this war to World War II, so perhaps another World War II comparison is called for.

In the final months of the war, Nazi Germany fielded three infantry divisions formed from sailors. Given the strategic situation of Germany at that time, their shortages of fuel, and their inability to wage surface (naval) warfare, that use of sailors had a certain cruel logic to it.

BH

[Wilms]

4. On this post, file83 put up this Paul Craig Roberts snip.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x354945

snip

The sooner the Bush administration realizes its goals of attacking Iran, Syria, and the Shia militias in Lebanon, the more likely the administration will collapse in the maelstrom before it achieves a viable police state.

snip

Perhaps we should go further and join the neocon chorus, urging on invasions of Iran and Syria and sending in the Marines to disarm Hizbullah in Lebanon. Not even plots of the German High Command could get rid of Hitler, but when Hitler marched German armies into Russia he destroyed himself.

snip

[reality based]

2. Anchors aweigh!

Maybe they'll develop some amphibious minesweepers to detect IED's. The Navy on wheels. Thank you, little emperor.

[Eugene]

3. So when does the draft start?

If we're down to using sailors as soldiers, how long can it be?

[Staph]

5. My nephew is already there . . . .

He's a lieutenant and Naval Academy grad, working as a network operations officer, something he was never trained for. He has soldiers reporting to him, and he reports up to an Air Force officer. He shipped out in September 2005.

[Dunvegan]

6. All possible good wishes to your nephew.

If you get a chance, please tell him his service is appreciated, and that we are thinking of him.

[Theduckno2]

7. Doesn't this say a lot about the burdens the Marines are under?

The Army is stretched in Iraq and who is turned to ease the pressure? The Navy? It seems our military leaders are making a statement about the situation in Iraq.

[alcibiades_mystery]

8. PBR Streetgang, this is Almighty, over

...

[Spinzonner]

9. But of course our military is not streteched thin by Iraq

because Rumsfeld says so

[teryang]

10. They could send the Air Force band and high school ROTC

...students.

[atreides1]

11. Give them time

I'm sure they will!

[Niccolo_Macchiavelli]

12. better get some of the sailors off the ships

before the sunburns are coming....

[doublethink]

13. Brown Water Duty .....

Or so they call it, from Blue Water Duty. Here's an article from January which says 40 to 50 thousand sailors are being trained to go inland along river routes etc.. (Tigress and Euphrates come to mind) in a restructuring of forces. Sounds to me they don't have enough land soldiers and are spinning the retraining as planned. Here's the article .....

http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/issues/2006/jan/SB-Navy.htm Peace. :)