Any Marines Here ?

[DK666]

I thought you guys were tip of the spear ? What gives with the activation and deployment of the assault force ?

[Avalux]

1. I'm not a marine

but you're right. That's why this "rotation" makes me think an offensive is in the making; they're building up to....Syria, Iran??? Shrub's speech told us what's next.

[DUreader]

2. Not a Marine, but I don't believe this 'rotation' line for one second!

They are blatantly lying about the math

[Medical Speaking]

3. Once a Marine always a Marine

It was that way in Viet-Nam. But with these Chickenhawks in our present mis-administration they have no clue. I see Bushes War as another Viet-Nam and we will be there a long time unless we have a regime change in 2004. And God help us if we dont.

Semper Fi

[Skittles]

17. HOWDY MEDICAL SPEAKING

I'd like to welcome you to the Underground. :hi:

[critchmj]

4. My son is.

He just got back from a 7 month stint in Iraq. So the "tip of the spear" was imbedded for at least that long. Now they have been told that they are going back.

But Rummy's new, lighter, faster army just isn't big enough for this occupation, so they have to rotate Marines in to fill the hole's.

[DUreader]

6. Do you and your son believe that? Here is the math lie they are telling

As Other DUers have pointed out:

85,000 + 43000= 128,000 yet they say the total will be 105,000


WASHINGTON - The Army next year will undertake its largest series of troop rotations since World War II when it sends
85,000 new Army and Marine combat forces to Iraq (news - web sites) to replace soldiers ending one-year tours.


The Pentagon (news - web sites) plans, announced Thursday, also include alerting an additional 43,000 National Guard
and Reserve support troops that they may be sent to Iraq as well.


Under the rotation plan, the overall number of American troops in Iraq will actually fall to 105,000 by May from the current
131,600, senior officials said.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=718&e=1&u=/ap/20031107/ap_on_re_mi_ea/us_iraq_troops

[critchmj]

8. Well ... I can only tell you what I know.

If you DU'ers got it worked out, then go for it.

The fact of the matter is that the Army has about 180,000 in Iraq & Kuwait. The Halliburton (KBR) privatization of the logistics didn't work out and the Army had to take ogver that job.

My nephew, an artillery trained and Foreign Area officer (South America)at the Pentagon just went over for 6 months, "scraping the bottom of the barrel" as he put it.

In your calculations, you should also add in the 100,000+ new Iraqi army that Rummy/Bremer is supposed to have up and running by the springtime, then supposedly, they'll have need of fewer US people.

Ya' know, I've had this problem on DU before. Answering a question and having someone basically tell me I'm stupid, even though I'm "on the ground." My son, a Marine Helicopter pilot has been to Basilan, Indonesia, Afghanistan, "One hour out of Kashmir before we got the recall", and then to Iraq over tha past 2-3 years. I think we might understand was'sup. I really do resent the question "is that what you and your son believe?"

[truthspeaker]

10. I don't think anyone was calling you dumb

I think they were giving you more information, not disputing what you said. I am glad your son is home safe and hope he, and everyone else in an American uniform, gets through his next tour as well.

[DK666]

11. I for one

appreciate your response. I asked the original question about the role of US Marines. I hope I did not minimize your input it was not my intention to do that.

Thank you...

[critchmj]

13. Well, the are supposed to be "the tip of the spear", but it doesn't always

work that way. As someone mentioned here they didn't have that role in Viet Nam, Korea, WW-II, nor WW-I. They are basically a light-infantry unit that, as they put it, "kick in the door and hold it open for the army to set up camp." But it doesn't always work that way, much to their chagrine.

[DUreader]

24. Hey, critchmj, I sincerely apologize for not being more clear, I feel dumb

I am highly suspicious, due to the repeated misinformation I get, this

article being the latest.

I really wanted to know if you have doubts about this being a rotation

or if you suspect it may be an expansion.

I highly value the opinion of anyone, like yourself, who actually has

direct knowledge of what the heck is going on.

I see how you could read my reply as an attack and I must learn to be

more clear. This , I know, is all very personal for you as it should

be. My thoughts will be with you and your son.

Safe return.

[stanwyck]

20. My son is, also, Critchmj

He's in Okinawa right now. Leaves for a "float" at the end of this month...I'm so glad to hear your son returned safely. I'll keep him in my thoughts. Let us know how he's doing. We're thinking of you.

[Patriot_Spear]

5. Hotdog, the ARMY is the tip of the Spear!

Marines are good for beach parties and as sea-going bellhops, but the guys who slug it out are Army Soldiers!

19D Army Cavalry Scout checking in here...

[VolcanoJen]

12. Whassup 19 Delta??

Go Cavalry!!!!!

:D :D :D

[Devil Dog Dem]

14. Not sure why my Army brothers need to take shots at the Corps

But 90% of Marine combat arms units (infantry, tanks, arty) were fighting in Iraq last year.

The guys I talked to -- who were hardly sea-going bellhops -- didn't it describe it as anything near a beach party.

But maybe you know something the rest of us don't.


Anyway, Marines are being sent back in because there are too many holes and the current force is getting worn down after a long and nasty occupation. This if not the typical mission of the Corps, which is designed for short offensive operations.

Semper Fi

[VolcanoJen]

19. I only read it as an Army "shout-out"

This veteran loves the Corps, Devil Dog Dem. :D

[DK666]

7. I did

2 tours as a combat FAC with ARG "A", ARG "B" and force recon. I just find it strange that our Marines are being used as occupation forces. (BTW I was an intel and FAC squid)

[Bandit]

9. I am not a marine but in Viet Nam they were used a regular convential

forces. They were usually placed in most forward areas (Khe Sahn etc.) but they were there for their thirteen months. I wouldn't call that the tip of the spear necessarily. Just most expendable I think.

[TacticalPeek]

15. Simple, they are running out of Army.

Plus, the heavy tank divisions now there lack much of an operational role anyway.

They realize the war isn't over, and fantasize that the 'light and lithe' Marine force will be better suited to upcoming operations (a rationalization of the box they are in, self-made).

[truthspeaker]

16. if the brass are smart

(and that's a mighty big IF), they will be doing more search-and-destroy raids on guerillas instead of just trying to hold territory. I know anti-guerilla activity is usually a special ops thing, but is it also something Marines are suited for? (pardon my ignorance of things military)

[critchmj]

22. Yes, Marines are suited for that kind of operation.

That's one of my son's jobs. He was flying Spec/Ops and Marines on "search & destroy" missions in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Afghanistan. I think it was also the Marines that flew the Spec/Ops (Force Recon) folks in to get the Hussein boys and Jessica Lynch.

I've not really talked to my son about any specific missions he was on, but I've wondered about whether he was on either of those.

[critchmj]

18. Surely ya'll have seen this, re: troops strength in Iraq?

Cut & run?? Who says Rove doesn't read the polls?

Will Cheney let them and give up all that oil & reconstruction money?

I'd really love to see Bremer helicoptered off the roof of Sadaam's Palace with Chalaby hanging on the skid.

"Washington turning to Vietnam exit strategy in Iraq
1 hour, 16 minutes ago Add Politics - AFP to My Yahoo!

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Moving to pull US troops from Iraq (news - web sites) amid intensifying attacks, replacing them with a hurriedly trained Iraqi force, Washington is accused of seeking an exit strategy similar to the Vietnam war.

The move to "Iraqify" military and police forces is reminiscent of the option taken by Washington over the so-called Vietnamization that came before south Vietnam collapsed before northern forces in 1975, observers and politicians say.

Former president Richard Nixon chose to "Vietnamify" -- progressively putting heavier military responsibility on the south Vietnamese so as to disengage the United States, which lost 58,000 soldiers in the tortuous war.

Though the Iraqi conflict is quite different and US casualties nowhere near the levels een in Vietnam, the analogy is being seen increasingly, after Washington said it may cut US troops from 132,000 to 105,000 by next spring.

Parallely, the United States is aiming to take the number of Iraqi security forces -- army, police and border guards -- from 118,000 men to 170,000 by early 2004.

Concerns have been raised over the policy, with claims the US administration is more interested in improving public opinion ahead of the November 2004 elections -- in which Bush will seek a second term -- than in Iraq's stability. ...

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20031107/pl_afp/us_iraq_wars&cid=1521&ncid=1480>

[Liberal Classic]

21. Hey DK

I'm an old devil dog, but just a long haired civvie now. Semper Fi.

[DK666]

23. Woah

Old school Jarhead.....

Nice ta meet ya.

[DUreader]

25. Thanks for this thread DK, I'd like to see more like it