1,000 more sailors expected to join ground forces in Iraq

[Clara T]

1,000 more sailors expected to join ground forces in Iraq
By Alex Fryer
Seattle Times staff reporter

Three years after Baghdad fell, the Navy is poised to dramatically increase the number of sailors in Iraq and Afghanistan, filling gaps in Army and Marine Corps units.The seamen, called "individual augmentees," support ground operations thousands of miles from the nearest port, in deployments that can be far different from the Navy's traditional role.

Last year, about 400 sailors from naval bases at Everett, Whidbey Island, Bangor and Bremerton were called to fill specific jobs ashore. Most involved security, communications, construction and administrative duties, on yearlong deployments. For example, some helped staff prisons and others drove trucks.

New requests for Navy personnel in the Middle East and Afghanistan are coming in weekly. There are 4,000 sailors in Iraq — a number that is expected to increase to 5,000 in the next few months. It is unclear how many more sailors will be called to serve ashore by the end of the year.

"Ground forces have been in a very tough rotation over the last several years, and if we can pitch in to help relieve some of that, we're going to do that," Adm. Michael Mullen said during a recent interview with reporters. "We are replacing some of the Marines and soldiers who are on the ground. ... I couldn't tell you exactly what it's going to grow to."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002870555_navy17m.html

[babylonsister]

1. Great. My d-i-l's brother just finished Navy boot camp,

thinking he'd never wind up in Iraq. I mentioned this possibility to her months ago, but...:-(

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

2. Contractors are getting in short supply

is how I read that.

Never fails in this country, when there is a job you can't get anyone else to do, sailors get sent to do it.

Don't be suprised if next they will come up with an undocumented alien plan along these lines, offering US citizenship to those who take jobs like this.

[tabasco]

3. "filling gaps in Army and Marine Corps units"

Apparently they found somebody to do the job before the sailors got sent to do it.

Pretty crummy deal though. Join the Nav for college benefits, thinking you'll scrape rust off a aircraft carrier for a couple years. Next thing you know - you're convoy security in Iraq ! Well, everyone who joins the military should be aware that their secondary job is infantry.

They already allow certain non-citizens to go in the service to help them get citizenship. I don't know the rules on it but you can bet they will be opening t up for a lot more mercenaries!

[Breeze54]

11. Did you forget

our National Guard???



Is now called... "INTERNATIONAL GUARD!!"
:sarcasm:

(Image Deleted on edit)

And thousands more deploying to Iraq, as I type!
Mine's finally coming home...soon!
:thumbsup:

[Born Free]

18. Contractors have moved to Iran

There isn't much going on for the contractors these days in Iraq, but things are great in Iran - doing all that stuff under the radar that makes was inevitable

[HawkerHurricane]

4. Here's to hoping I don't get recalled...

Since my retirement from the military in 2004, I have feared a involuntary recall to play security guard in Iraq.

Where have all the soldiers gone?

[Skittles]

8. some of them are on their third tour

they are burned out

[TomClash]

5. Who's next? The Boy Scouts?

Girl Scouts? Cheerleaders?

[Ilsa]

9. How about president's daughters? nt

[TomClash]

10. Hell no they won't go!

Good one!

[Divernan]

12. The kids will be called "Bush Youth."

nt

[PassingFair]

22. Or the more evocative:

"Bush League"

[DinahMoeHum]

6. Well, well, well! sooner than I thought!

More than once I've suspected that Rummy Dummy & Co. would pull this shit: Take some folks in the Navy and the Air Force and augment them in the Army and Marines.
Anything to avoid using the draft - that would be the political kiss of death.

:evilfrown:

[Hardrada]

14. The Nazis were putting Luftwaffe people in the forward lines

on the Eastern Front toward the end. This reminds me again to wonder if Rove and others have cyanide teeth they will crunch if it looks like we are finally about to capture them!

[HawkerHurricane]

19. Actually...

that was Herman Goering's fault. In a spectacular bit of empire building, Herman managed to get enough equipment assigned to the Luftwaffe to have it's own armored army, Panzerarmee Herman Goering... Parts of it were committed to North Africa in 1942 in response to Operation Torch... other units were used as reserves for D-Day, and the whole force was committed (and pretty much destroyed) to defend Warsaw from the Russians in 1944-45.

Toward the very end, when there weren't any planes left, ground crews were given rifles and sent to the front... which was often in easy walking distance. Those near western lines often 'lost' thier rifles on the way and surrendered to the first unit they came to.

[Hardrada]

24. OK, I always thought it was an SS Division named for

Herman Wilhelm Goering but I guess that no SS leader would have remotely thought of that.

[HawkerHurricane]

26. They were often mistaken for SS...

in that they had the best equipment, fanatical devotion, and often poor training.

Hitler maintained power by having his rivals fight each other... The party (SS), the Air Force (Panzer Armee Herman Goering), the Army, all with thier own ground forces... while the intelligence service (Abwehr) had police powers, and the 'State Security' (Gestapo) had authority to give orders to the Army...

Only the Navy seemed 'above the fray'... which is why Hitler named Admiral Donitz his successor at the last minute.

And this is where BushCo isn't like the Nazis... they haven't formed thier own military (yet), and aren't encouraging empire building. BushCo has more in common with Italian Fascism, taking credit for things that haven't happened (Making the trains run on time) and proving unable to win wars against 3rd rate countries.

[Hardrada]

28. Go Albania!!

[shance]

7. Why are Cheney and Rumsfeld intentionally placing these kids in

harms way? What is the benefit of putting our kids in harms way and knowing the chances are high they will be killed.

Iraq is a killing zone - we have no legitimate media telling us anything that is going on there. We have absolutely no idea what the truth is.

So why are Cheney and Rumsfeld sending more troops overseas? Is it to intentionally make us more vulnerable over here?

Why are our troops being FINED for wearing more protective gear? For PROTECTING THEMSELVES???

Its time to ask the question. Are Cheney and Rumsfeld intentionally killing our soldiers?

How else can one see it? The recent bombing. The refusal to give them adequate protection and when they DO get adequate protect they are PENALIZED FOR WEARING IT?

What is so wrong with this picture?

[NEOBuckeye]

15. You already know the answer

Those rat bastards don't give a damn about anyone's neck but their own. To Cheney and Rumsfeld, It's all about accumulation of power and profit. If a few hundred thousand people here and there die in that process, who cares? They certainly don't.

The real question is, how much longer will the American people stand by and tolerate these criminal catastrophes?

[Hardrada]

13. Will they be armed with cutlasses?

It would be right in line with Bushco's lousy ordinance planning.

[wakeme2008]

16. The Air Force and Navy were the biggest Bush supporters in the 2004

election. This Dem Army Vet will not shed a tear over this.

[DinahMoeHum]

21. Yeah, 'cause it weren't THEIR asses on the ground out there.

:evilfrown:

[fleabert]

34. my brother is no Bush supporter.

three years now in the Navy...

[free_spirit82]

35. Not that way here....

My hubby is in the Air Force and so far the only airman we've met here that supported Bush or this war was a complete fucking idiot who ended up getting booted before he ever had to go over there. My hubby's friend's routinely get together, drink, and bash Bush. This base has a lot of airmen over there, and an even bigger chunk of men are in Afganistan. On the other hand, my best friend is an SP in the Navy (expecting to get sent over anytime) and she gets a lot of flack from about half of her co-workers for her views against Bush.

[maddezmom]

17. the opening line...3 years after Baghdad fell

what a joke.

[theHandpuppet]

20. Must be why I've seen an uptick in Navy recruitment commercials

And why they've come out with new camo uniforms for the USN.

Funny, all the commercials show sailors on subs or on the decks of aircraft carriers. Little do they know what they may really be signing up for!

New motto: Join the Navy and become a Marine!

[PassingFair]

23. True Story:

My father (Al) was DRAFTED into the Marines during the Korean War.
At induction, the men were put into two lines. One line went
Army, the other went Marines. He always told me that if any-
one ever said they don't draft Marines, they were full of it!

Any way, while he was in bootcamp, a guy came by asking for
volunteers for "color-guard". Al's friend had told him to
never volunteer for ANYTHING, but Al was very concerned that
he not be shot at for ANY reason, and he had heard the "color
guard" spent most of their time on Navy ships, so he reported to
the color-guard recruiter and asked permission to ask one question.

"Sir!", he asked "Do the Korean's have a navy, Sir?". When informed
that the Koreans did NOT have a navy, Al signed up on the spot.
He maintained that the only fighting he saw in the war was against
sailors, as there was deep resentment against the marines on the
navy ships!

His ploy would have failed him in THIS (undeclared) war.
Under THESE (unelected) criminals.

He eventually became a Marine Drill Instructor until he was
able to go home. He DID NOT enjoy his stint as a D.I., as he
felt sorry for the recruits, and he RARELY talked about it.

He did tell me one time that he had a "gung-ho" recruit that was just
itching to go into combat. When he tried to impress upon the young
lout that he might DIE, the kid said "If there's a bullet over there
with my name on it, it's gonna get me no matter what."
Al told him "If you stay out of Korea, that bullet with your name
on it will be in a Korean tree instead of your head".

I hope he followed my Dad's advice.....

I miss my Dad :cry:

[Hardrada]

25. Good story! I miss my wise Grandfather who helped raise

us kids. He always said that Democrats are honest crooks but republicans are crooked crooks. He just shook his head and smiled about Watergate.

[Lisa]

27. under a sane system, your Dad would have been in charge ...

Imagine a military that didn't go around picking fights, or treating its own people like disposable kleenex. I guess it's too late to replace the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Rumsfeld too, by cloning your father?

[PassingFair]

29. He lives on in memory only, Lisa...

but he still speaks through me and others whose
life he brought laughter and wisdom to.

Thanks!

[DemoTex]

30. Eyewitness to USMC drafting at ATL AFFEES in 1968.

It was a 20% factor. Draftees were lined up, counted off by fives, and every draftee with a five multiple was asked to step forward. You men are going to Paris Island! You men are marines!

That was sad, sad, sad. Joining the USMC was one thing, and getting conscripted into the infamous 1968 USMC was another.

Mac

[PassingFair]

31. My dad always told us to steer clear of the military.

He said that it was for people who were willing to
give up their rights and responsibilities and follow
orders mindlessly.

He would have FREAKED if one of his kids had joined!

I know that if he were alive today he would be worried
about his 3 grandsons, who are of draft age, and can't
afford college educations.

I hope my brother (he married a freeper-type)is HALF
the father to his sons that my father was.

He wasn't a pacifist, per se. He was never afraid of
the "commies". He didn't believe
that the Vietnam War was a "just" war, and felt that
we had gone into it blindly.

[Marie26]

32. Why would Iraq need sailors?

It's practically a land-locked country. Hmmm.

[fleabert]

33. FUCK NO!

my brother is in Hawaii. Hopefully he won't get called.

fuck fuck fuck fuck
:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: