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US Forces Order of Battle - 18 November

This is a "best available" order-of-battle of forces deployed in CENTCOM's part of Southwest Asia, as well as EUCOM forces in Turkey participating in Operation Northern Watch. Over time, the amount of publicly available information concerning aircraft types and specific units has diminished to the point that it is no longer possible to provide a high fidelity profile of current deployments. There are evidently significant gaps in unit identifications, as well as non-trivial uncertainties as to numbers of specific types of aircraft. The presence of significant numbers of civilian contractor personnel at various facilities in the region further complicates accounting for total personnel numbers.

Excluding forces deployed in direct support of Operation Enduring Freedom, there are probably about 48,000 military personnel in the CENTCOM area of responsibility, including about 400 aircraft of all types. The number of troops deployed in the area fluctuates on a daily basis, and has averaged between 20,000 and 25,000 in recent years, with typically about 200 aircraft in the region. Forces in the region include a mix of special operations forces deployed in support of US Central Command operations. To enhance force protection throughout the region, additional military security personnel are also deployed.

Ground forces include a variety of units that are normally deployed in the region, which total about 3,700 troops. Forces in the region include a Patriot missile task force with two batteries deployed in Saudi Arabia and two in Kuwait. The Army Intrinsic Action / Desert Spring training exercises routinely deploy 1,500 to 5,000 troops for rotations of several months. As of late-September 2002 a brigade rotation was in progress having just begun, ultimately this will involve as many as 10,000 soldiers in Kuwait. In addition to the 3,700 soldiers normally in the region, this troop rotation, once completed, could bring the total Army presence to nearly 14,000 soldiers. However it is possible that the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division will return to the United States. As of late-October there were roughly 10,000 soldiers based in the region, with some 6,000 in Kuwait. On 24 September 2002 it was reported that the 82nd Airborne Division had been notified to be prepared to deploy to the Gulf within two weeks.

The EUCOM Area of Responsibility includes approximately 1,700 Air Force personnel at Incrilik AB Turkey, flying Operation Northern Watch patrols. Prior to Operation Enduring Freedom, approximately 6,200 Air Force personnel were normally stationed in the CENTCOM Area of Responsibility. As many as 17,500 Air Force personnel may be currently stationed in the CENTCOM and EUCOM areas responsible for operations against Iraq, operating a total of about 280 aircraft of all types.

Naval units include a headquarters and shore-based units comprised of about 1,200 people at Manama in Bahrain. Nearly a thousand civilian mariners are associated with Military Sealift Command ships at Diego Garcia. During the 1990s overal Naval force personnel levels in the CENTCOM AOR typically varied between 8,000 and 15,000. Each Carrier Battlegroup, with its associated Carrier Air Wing, has approximately 11,000 sailors embarked. Each Amphibious Group has about 1,700 sailors, 1,500 Marines, and 700 Marine aviators embarked. As of late-September 2002 there was one carrier battle group in the area, and one amphibious group, for a total of slightly less than 20,000 naval personnel. These units included about 128 helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. A total of about 400 Vertical Launch System cells are available for Tomahawk cruise missiles, which is roughly twice the average number typically deployed in recent years. Based on estimates of prior deployments, perhaps as many as 150 Tomahawks are actually deployed. The cruise missile force can be augmented significantly within days.

Currently, there are about 370 combatant and direct support aircraft in the Iraq [CENTCOM and EUCOM] Area of Responsibility, which total includes air to air, air to ground, dual role, direct support, and attack helicopters.

Recent Developments

Desert Spring is in full swing and the brigade rotation is nearly completed, according to a story dated November 15 in Savannah Now, one of Fort Stewarts local news sources. The remaining units, including an infantry battalion which is due to be replaced in the coming weeks, may stay if tensions between the US and Iraq increase.

The status of the USS Nimitz has been an issue of great confusion in recent weeks as there appears to have been little progress made in its training cycle since September. In late October the Carl Vinson Battle Group began its COMPTUEX, significantly ahead of schedule, and before the Nimitz who was supposed to be further along than the Vinson. An article in the Daily Press on November 17, 2002 reports that the Nimitz is experiencing significant technical problems and that a deployment prior to Spring 2003 would be unlikely. The report cites delays in completion of its reactor overhaul in 2001, and various technical difficulties associated with its ICAN system. The report does however assert that if ordered to, the Nimitz could be made available for an early deployment to the Persian Gulf.

VAQ-133 has been identified as being located at Incirlik, Turkey since August in addition to VAQ-209. Both units are expected to return soon.

VMAQ-4, an EA-6B unit that was located in Saudi Arabia returned to the US on November 10, 2002. It is believed that VMAQ-1 has been deployed to Prince Sultan as part of the normal rotation of VMAQs.

Finally, the Associated Press reported on November 13, 2002 that elements of the 27th Fighter Wing from Cannon Air Force Base would be deploying to Southwest Asia shortly after Thanksgiving. The article also stated that security and civil engineers from Holloman's 49th Fighter Wing would also be deploying beginning Nov 15, 2002.