US may send up to 10,000 soldiers to Haiti

[Renew Deal]

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When it finally arrives, the U.S. contingent could be massive. Military officials from the Pentagon's Southern Command, which oversees Haiti, said the USS Carl Vinson, an aircraft carrier with a large contingent of helicopters and other planes, was en route and expected to arrive Thursday afternoon.

Gen. Douglas Fraser, the commander of Southcom, said the U.S. was also deploying a large amphibious ship carrying a 2,000-person Marine expeditionary unit, helicopters and smaller landing craft. The ship should arrive in Haiti this weekend.

U.S. military officials said four other large ships were also preparing for possible deployments to Haiti, including the USNS Comfort, which functions as a floating hospital.

Gen. Fraser said the military had placed a brigade of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division on alert for possible deployment. Army brigades typically contain roughly 5,000 soldiers, so the deployments could push the total U.S. military commitment to Haiti to roughly 10,000 troops.

Although the introduction of U.S. ground forces hadn't yet been decided on, Gen. Fraser said the Pentagon was responding to President Obama's request to "lean forward" and provide Washington as wide array of options as possible.

Gen. Fraser said the military's first priority was assessing the damage in Haiti to determine what forms of relief are most needed.
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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748704362004575001004177885736.html

[Mari333]

1. lets do the right thing and bring them all home from Afghanistan and Iraq

and send them to help Haiti. Otherwise, we are hypocrites.

[Donnachaidh]

2. I certainly hope they keep Blackwater OUT of this

Send troops -- DON'T contract out to mercenaries.