Fort Worth Star Telegram (Texas) March 14, 2003
U.S. TROOPS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
More than 250,000 troops have been ordered to the Persian Gulf region. Here is a partial listing:
BAHRAIN
About 5,000. The Navy's 5th Fleet, based in Manama, has P-3 Orion surveillance planes at Muharraq airfield. About 1,900 U.S. military, mostly Air Force, are stationed at Shaikh Isa Air Base.
TURKEY
About 5,000 U.S. and other military personnel, including about 1,700 Air Force troops stationed at Incirlik Air Base. Squadrons patrol no-fly zone of northern Iraq as part of Operation Northern Watch.
QATAR
About 8,000, mostly Army and Air Force. About 1,000 are at Camp As Sayliyah, south of the capital, Doha.
The force includes KC-10 and KC-135 refueling aircraft, B-52 bombers, EA-6 electronic warfare aircraft and E-8C Joint Stars reconnaissance planes at Al Udeid Air Base.
SAUDI ARABIA
About 8,500, mostly Air Force. An air center with two Patriot anti-missile batteries and about 75 aircraft operate from Prince Sultan Air Base, near Riyadh.
KUWAIT
More than 110,000, mostly Army and Air Force. About 1,400 enforce the no-fly zone in southern Iraq as part of Operation Southern Watch. Equipment for three Army brigades and two Patriot anti-missile batteries is stored here. Aircraft include A-10s, F-18s, F-16s and C-130 transports. Tanks and heavy artillery are at Camp Doha, headquarters for U.S. Central Command.
DJIBOUTI
1,000, about half of whom are Special Operations forces stationed at Le Monier Barracks (aka Camp Lemonier). High-tech Special Forces command center.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
About 1,200, mostly Air Force and U.S. Central Command. Global Hawks, unpiloted drones and KC-10 refueling aircraft are at Al Dhafra Air Base.
OMAN
About 3,000, mostly Air Force. Thumrait Air Base in southern Oman has devoted most of its resources to patrolling the no-fly zone. Fighter jet and aircraft squadrons are stationed at Seeb International Airport, northeast Oman.
TOTAL BATTLE GROUPS DEPLOYED: 5
USS Constellation - More than 5,000 in Bahrain.
USS Kitty Hawk - More than 8,000 headed to Strait of Hormuz, between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
USS Theodore Roosevelt - About 8,500 in the Mediterranean Sea.
USS Harry S. Truman - About 6,000 in the Mediterranean Sea.
USS Nimitz - About 8,000 en route to Persian Gulf region.
Research by Staff Writers Clarissa Aljentera, Maricar Estrella and Chris Vaughn.
SOURCES: Star-Telegram research, The New York Times, CNN, Globalsecurity.org, The Washington Post, Jane's Online, Agence France Presse, The Associated Press, Pentagon, ClariNews, military Web sites, Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, Corpus Christi Caller-Times, El Paso Times, Federation of American Scientists
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1. Map(s): STAR-TELEGRAM GRAPHIC/ W. MATT PINKNEY, JOHN T. VALLES, DON COOK
Copyright © 2003, Star-Telegram Newspaper, Inc.
