The Atlanta Journal-Constitution January 16, 2003
Deployments to gulf continue; Troop movement doesn't mean war is inevitable, Pentagon says
By GEORGE EDMONSON
Washington --- As the U.S. military continues to send more troops and weapons to the Persian Gulf to prepare for a possible war with Iraq, the head of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff said Wednesday the buildup did not make war inevitable.
"Certainly, from a military perspective, there's no point of no return," Gen. Richard Myers said at a Pentagon news briefing.
Across the United States, troops are moving out as the Pentagon seeks to boost the military presence in the gulf region from about 60,000 troops there at year's end to more than 120,000 within the next few weeks.
In Savannah, for example, the Mendonca, a 950-foot cargo ship operated for the Navy by a private firm, is scheduled to leave port today after being packed with equipment for the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized), headquartered at nearby Fort Stewart. A second ship, the Gilliland, is en route from Virginia to carry more of the division's vehicles and material to Kuwait. The 3rd Infantry deployment orders, issued just before Christmas, marked the start of the current buildup. Some of the troops have departed for Kuwait, and others will fly there in the coming weeks, a base spokeswoman said Wednesday. A total of about 17,000 3rd Infantry soldiers will join about 4,000 that were already in Kuwait, she added.
Another Navy cargo carrier, the Seay, is expected to arrive in Beaumont, Texas, later this week to be loaded with Army equipment. Several hundred troops with the 13th Corps Support Command at Fort Hood, about 50 miles from Waco, are now headed to the gulf region.
Long-range bombers, employed to great effect in dropping precision-guided weapons during the campaign in Afghanistan, are now in place for possible use in the gulf region. They would undoubtedly play a major role in whatever strategy might be employed against Iraq.
Lt. Megan Frail of the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota said some of the 26 B-1B bombers based there had been dispatched, but she would not specify how many.
"In the last week," she said, "we have deployed around 500 troops."
She also would not disclose where the intercontinental jet bombers were stationed. Some operated from the isolated base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean during the war in Afghanistan.
Last week, the Navy's massive floating hospital, the Comfort, left Baltimore for the Indian Ocean as well.
The push to get troops in place quickly is likely being driven by several factors.
With weapons inspections under way in Iraq, some observers believe an ongoing threat of U.S. military action is necessary to achieve any degree of cooperation from Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Another factor in the buildup could be the desire to have U.S. forces in place to react quickly if there is a coup or other major action inside Iraq.
But the biggest factor might be the most uncontrollable: the weather.
Many military observers say fighting would potentially be much more difficult after March, when temperatures rise. The sweltering conditions could be most difficult for those in suits designed to protect against chemical and biological weapons, which many military officials fear Saddam would use if he were attacked.
Being inside the protective suits during hot weather is "grueling," said Wayne Lee, a University of Louisville history professor who served as an Army officer in the 1991 Gulf War.
That is a major reason the Marine Corps is pushing to get troops deployed quickly.
"I think it's a logical assumption that the Marine Corps is intent on getting its forces in place by the first of February," a Marine official said.
The Corps is sending between 40,000 and 50,000 forces from California and thousands of others from North Carolina, he said. Two seven-ship Navy groups will soon be taking as many as 14,000 Marines, their gear and equipment to the gulf region, he said, adding that others would make the trip by plane. They will join several thousand Marines who were recently dispatched to the Middle East.
The Pentagon also recently notified at least 10,000 reservists they could face activation. The Pentagon's weekly report Wednesday showed the number of Guard and Reserve troops on active duty at 58,894, an increase of 2,199 from a week earlier.
U.S. Central Command, whose area of responsibility includes Iraq, already has a command center in Qatar, a small ally in the Persian Gulf.
The high-tech headquarters was constructed for war games late last year. And, a spokesman said, "when the guidance comes, they can flow there and set up and do what they need to do."
GRAPHIC: Graphic: U.S. TROOPS IN THE IRAQ REGION Most of the American troops that would fight against Iraq are under the U.S. Central Command, but forces of the European Command stationed in Turkey also would participate. (The graphic includes a map of the Middle East with color-coding to indicate Middle East countries with main U.S. bases; inset map of Africa/Europe/Asia pinpoints the area of detail.)
Estimating U.S. troop strength in the Iraqi area has become especially difficult since Sept. 11, 2001, according to GlobalSecurity.org. Estimates from various sources range from about 45,000 to 60,000.
U.S. estimated troop strength in region Personnel
Army: 15,000
Air Force: 17,500
Naval personnel (Navy, Marines): 14,000
Arms
Air Force aircraft: 280
Navy aircraft, helicopters: 128
Navy ships: 1 aircraft carrier battle group
Key local deployments (The following locations are shown on a map of Georgia) Hinesville: 1st and 2nd Brigades, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart
Valdosta: 347th Rescue Wing, Moody Air Force Base
Columbus: 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning
Sources: GlobalSecurity.org, Center for Defense Information, Federation of American Scientist / VERNON CARNE / Staff; Photo: Brig. Gen. Richard Natonski (left), commanding general of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, boards a helicopter at Camp Lejeune, N.C., on Wednesday. / BOB JORDAN / Associated Press
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