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US Forces Order of Battle - 27 January

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. Even prior to September 11, 2001, the amount of publicly available information concerning aircraft types and specific units had diminished to the point that it was 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 70,000 military personnel in the CENTCOM area of responsibility, including about 450 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. Virtually all of 3rd Infantry Division has been deployed to Kuwait, though it is possible that some battalions are still in the process of deploying. It is believed that the total Army presence in the region is nearly 25,000 soldiers.

The US Air Force's Expeditionary Air and Space Force (EAF) concept and organization sets a guideline for Air Force deployments to operational locations. The EAF is comprised of 10 Aerospace Expeditionary Forces (AEF) each with lead combat and support wings including on-call wings that could be deployed if required. Deployments for active duty units lasts roughly 90-days while Reserve and Guard units deploy typically for 30 - 60 days. Generally one AEF is assigned to Operation Southern Watch and one is assigned to Northern Watch. AEF 7 and AEF 8 units deployed beginning in late November and will remain until the end of February 2003.

The EUCOM Area of Responsibility includes approximately 1,700 Air Force personnel at Incrilik AB Turkey, flying Operation Northern Watch patrols (Though there are roughly 4,000 people at Incirlik in general). Prior to Operation Enduring Freedom, approximately 6,200 Air Force personnel were normally stationed in the CENTCOM Area of Responsibility. As many as 20,000 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. It should be noted that tracking personnel numbers for the Air Force is extremely difficult as the actual number of pilots is small compared to support elements. These numbers could be drastically incorrect.

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 overall 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 January 2003 there were two carrier battle groups in the area, and one amphibious group, for a total of around 24,000 naval personnel. These units included about 170 helicopters and aircraft. A total of about 790 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 400 Tomahawks are actually deployed. The cruise missile force can be augmented significantly within days.

Note: While this listing is dated, one should keep in mind that the page is often edited numerous times during a particular edition, sometimes daily. One should visit the page often to get the most up-to-date listing of the situation.

Recent Developments

Sealift

• The USNS Algol passed throught the Suez Canal on January 23 enroute to the Persian Gulf. According to the Agence France Presse on January 24.
• The USNS Watkins is currently present in Antwerp uploading at least 6 AH-64D Longbow's, 10 CH-47s, and 14 UH-60s. Accounts indicate that at least 30 aircraft have been loaded or are in the process of being loaded. This would appear to be part of the deployment of 6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry, and either 3-158th Aviation Regiment, or 5-158th Aviation (or both). It is possible, however, that some of these aircraft are attached to Aviation Brigades of 1st Infantry or 1st Armor Divisions. (Information found on Scramble Intelligence Service)
• On January 21 2 Fast Sealift Ships, the USNS Regulus and USNS Denebola arrived at Wilmington, North Carolina to load U.S. Marine Corps cargo. Regulus and Denebola, both noncombatant Fast Sealift Ships, are nearly 950 feet long and can each carry about 150,000 square feet of rolling stock and containerized cargo. Shipboard ramps and cranes enable military equipment to be easily driven or hoisted onto the ship's multiple decks. Reports from the Associated Press indicate that amphibious assault vehicles and armored landing vehicles were loaded on to the ships.
• On January 17, 9 "Cape" Roll-on/Roll-off sealift ships were activated and ordered to be operational no later than Jan 22. These ships, the Cape Race and Cape Rise located in Portsmouth, VA, the Cape Decision and Cape Diamond located in Charleston, S.C., and the Cape Taylor (which is loading in Corpus Christi), Cape Texas, Cape Trinity, Cape Victory and Cape Vincent located in Beaumont and Houston, Texas would be loaded and underway with roughly a full divisions worth of heavy equipment no later than January 28. A transit from the United States to the Persian Gulf would take roughly 18-21 days allowing them to arrive in Kuwait on or around February 18. Assuming that it would take roughly 2-4 days to unload and transport the equipment from port to the Kabals, where it would marry up with troops, the US should have nearly all of the heavy equipment in place by February 22.
• The Cape Douglas and Cape Domingo both in Charleston, the Cape Kennedy and Cape Knox both in New Orleans have also been put on 5 Day activation.
• Other Ready Reserve vessels have been activated, including the USNS Pollux (in New Orleans), USNS Antares (Jacksonville, Fla), USNS Curtiss (in San Diego loading Marine Corps helicopters and other equipment), USNS Wright (from Baltimore). This information came from the Seafarers International Union.

Army

• News reports from the Associated Press on January 20, 2003 and additional stories on January 21 report that the military is creating a Task Force Ironhorse to be comprised of elements of the 4th Infantry Division [Mechanized] and units from Fort Sill, Fort Lewis, Fort Riley, Fort Leonard Wood, Fort Polk, Fort Campbell, and Fort Bragg. The Task Force will number some 37,000 soldiers. Additional reports that have surfaced in the press indicate that the 4th Infantry Division will send its whole division, not just elements, and that portions of the 1st Cavalry Division have received orders to deploy as well. The 1st Cavalry Division units are as yet unknown, but an Apache squadron has been deployed as has a chemical company.
• It is now thought that the bulk of the 3rd Infantry Division has arrived in Kuwait. While it is possible that some portions of the unit have yet to transit, and that some equipment still needs to be sent, an article in the Coastal Courier on January 22 indicates that the entire division would be deployed by January 24.
• The 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division has received orders to deploy to Southwest Asia. Reports out of Fayetteville indicate that few if any troops from the 2nd Brigade have begun to deploy. On January 23, 2003 the Fayetteville Observer reported that the 2nd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, has been ordered to deploy to Southwest Asia
• Units from the Minnesota National Guard and Army Reserve units based in that state have been identified as being ordered to deploy to Southwest Asia. The units include 704th Chemical Company and the 142nd Engineer Battalion.
• The 203rd Military Intelligence Battalion deployed to Southwest Asia on January 23.

Navy

• On January 20 the Abraham Lincoln departed Western Australia officially ending her visit there. It is believed that the ship and her Battle Group have begun to redeploy to the Persian Gulf. A spokesman with the Lincoln Battle Group confirmed this. It is thought that by January 24 that the Lincoln and her Battle Group have arrived in the CENTCOM AOR.
• On January 21 reports from the Associated Press indicate that the Theodore Roosevelt will be sent to the Persian Gulf. The story cites Department of Defense officials, and says that Donald Rumsfeld has approved the order. These reports were later confirmed by the Navy.
• The USS Arther W. Radford, the USS Barry and the USS Kauffman are returning to Norfolk on January 23. These ships deployed as part of the George Washington Battle Group late last Summer roughly 1-2 months after the rest of the Battle Group departed. This is a possible indication that the USS George Washington and her Battle Group may not be redeployed to fight in the war on Iraq, as the Navy would most likely keep the vessels at sea if a redeployment was likely.
• The USS Kitty Hawk and elements of her Battle Group departed Japan on January 20 for exercises off of Iwo Jima. It is not clear if she would be sent to the Persian Gulf after concluding that exercise.
• The USNS Comfort passed through the Suez Canal on January 23, 2003.
• The USS Iwo Jima is believed to have received orders to deploy earlier then her scheduled February-March timeframe. Documentation from the Navy indicates that she is currently operating off the East Coast.
• Both the Nimitz and Carl Vinson Battle Groups are off the coast of California completing their respective JTFEX. It is thought that these vessels will be ready to deploy to the Persian Gulf by late January, though there are some rumblings in the press that the Carl Vinson will transit to Sea of Japan so that the Kitty Hawk might be sent to the Gulf.

Marine Corps

• Photo's from the Associated Press indicate that on or about January 21 that elements of Maritime Preposition Squadron 1 arrived in Kuwait and has been offloaded. The pictures clearly illustrate that Marine Corps M1A1s which are painted green, rather than desert colors, were being offloaded. MPS 1 is usually based in the Med for contingencies in Europe, which would require the equipment to be painted green.
• On January 17 the 1st Radio Battalion began to deploy to Southwest Asia.

Air Force

• 300 more airmen and an as yet unknown number of aircraft from the 22nd Fighter Squadron have deployed to Saudi Arabia. It is believed that when the whole squadron deploys that roughly 15 F-16s will have been sent to Southwest Asia. The exact location of the unit is not known, though there are reports that the unit is located in Kuwait.

Coalition Forces

• On January 20 the UK Ministry of Defence announced that 26,000 soldiers were being mobilized and would deploy to Kuwait in the coming weeks. These units included the 1 (UK) Armoured Division, the 7 Armoured Brigade, the 16 Air Assault Brigade, 102 Logistics Brigade and various engineer units.
• The HMAS Kanimbla has deployed from Australia for the Persian Gulf on January 23. The Kanimbla will deploy with a Sea King helicopter, Army landing craft, an Army air defence detachment, and a specialist explosives ordnance disposal team.
• Australia is also deploying a Special Forces Task Group which will include a Special Air Services squadron. It is not clear when this unit will deploy.