Thousands in Germany, Italy are told they will be deploying in mid-2007

[lebkuchen]

This will be tomorrow's Stripes headline. The list is so long, you'd think Germany-based troops weren't in Iraq right now. They are, and they're dying. Their memorials are published in Stripes about every other week.

Fuck Bush.

http://stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=42982

These units are not a part of President Bush’s plan to increase troop strength in Iraq.

From V Corps:

12th Combat Aviation Brigade

Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, Katterbach

3rd Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (Assault), Katterbach

2nd Battalion,159 Attack Aviation Battalion, Katterbach

412th Aviation Support Battalion, Katterbach

243rd Theater Construction Management Detachment, 18th Engineer Brigade, Hanau, Germany

535th Engineer Support Company, 18th Engineer Brigade, Vilseck

Southern European Task Force (Airborne):

173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza

Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 173rd ABCT, Vicenza

1st Battalion, 503th Infantry Regiment, Vicenza

2nd Battalion, 503th Infantry Regiment, Vicenza

1-91 Reconnaissance Surveillance Target Acquisition Battalion, Schweinfurt, Germany

4th Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, Bamberg

173rd Special Troops Battalion, Bamberg

173rd Brigade Support Battalion, Bamberg

From 21st Theater Support Command:

Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 18th Military Police Brigade, Mannheim, Germany

Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 95th MP Battalion, Mannheim

95th MP Battalion, Mannheim (11 patrol/explosive detection dog teams)

212th MP Company, Wiesbaden, Germany

230th MP Company, Kaiserslautern, Germany

Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 14th Movement Control Battalion, Kaiserslautern

Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 28th Transportation Battalion, Kaiserslautern

240th Quartermaster Company, Bamberg

606th Movement Control Team, Mannheim

627th Movement Control Team, Bamberg

635th Movement Control Team, Wiesbaden

41st Transportation Company (Palletized Load System), Vilseck

51st Transportation Company (PLS), Mannheim

68th Transportation Company (Medium Truck), Mannheim

69th Transportation Company (MED TRK), Mannheim

70th Transportation Company (MED TRK), Mannheim

109th Transportation Company (MED TRK), Mannheim

515th Transportation Company (Petroleum, Oils and Lubricants) Kaiserslautern

From Headquarters, U.S. Army Europe and 7th Army:

19th Battlefield Control Detachment, Kaiserslautern

From 7th Army Reserve Command:

1172nd Movement Control Team, Kaiserslautern

209th Army Liaison Team, Wiesbaden

From 5th Signal Command:

44th Signal Battalion, Mannheim

From European Regional Medical Command (30th Medical Brigade):

71st Medical Detachment (Preventive Medicine), Vilseck

From 266th Finance Command:

Detachment B, 39th Finance Battalion, Katterbach

The following units are scheduled to deploy as part of the next Operation Enduring Freedom rotation:

From 21st Theater Support Command

527th MP Company, Giessen, Germany

720th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, Mannheim

95th MP Battalion, Mannheim (seven patrol/explosive detection dog teams)

From 266th Finance Command

Detachment A, 208th Finance Battalion, Kaiserslautern

[CrazyOrangeCat]

1. Thanks for the info.

We all need to concentrate on stopping this madness NOW.

[lebkuchen]

3. I posted this elsewhere, but...

I heard on American Forces Radio tonight that Iraqi leadership had been put in charge of some of our military units. I can't find any information on the web about that, but I can't help but wonder if that reported change of command had anything to do with our soldiers being killed by Iraqis in US military uniform.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

4. madness.

madness.

[chookie]

28. Say it ain't so

Iraqi leadership in charge of American troops?

Can you update us on this? Hell needs to be raised if this is true.

[earthside]

2. Deployment for Iranian War?

That's what it sounds like to me.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

5. That's what it sounds like.

[doublethink]

6. ?

"These units are not a part of President Bush’s plan to increase troop strength in Iraq." but the article does include the word "Rotation" ...... but then again I haven't heard of any forces coming home ...... just getting extended deployments over there. hmmmmm ...... ? K&R Peace.

[lebkuchen]

7. If Bush plans for an assault outside of Iraq

mid-year, as in May/June, that would be the time when he could get the latest crop of HS grads, as long as he can sell his plan in a sympathetic manner to the 18 y.o.'s. If he can successfully provoke Iran into an attack against the US, he's sure to entice a few naive seniors with nothing better to do.

I've heard that the base high schools are bombarded with recruiters, pulling students out of classes for interviews and the taking of the ASVAB.

[ohio2007]

16. Yes,"These units ARE NOT a part of President Bush’s plan to increase

troops. Thats what the surge does, ad a layer of troops on top of whats in place.
The article pasted doesn't match the link, it's misleading but I still think we should reduce our European footprint.

[lebkuchen]

17. curious

Where is the mislead? The link says, "Thousands in Germany/Italy will deploy" and the link is a long list of units ID'd as those to be deployed. Seems pretty straight forward to me.

[lovuian]

10. Bingo

Getting ready...:nuke:

[Doctor_J]

13. Dunno what else it could be

hopefully they'll be on our side.

[Towelie]

33. Just part of the normal rotations to Iraq or Afghanistan. nt

[Towelie]

34. Did you even read the article?

"Some 8,500 soldiers from 43 units in Germany and Italy have received official word that they will be deploying to either Iraq or Afghanistan later this year, U.S. Army Europe officials announced Monday.

Part of the 2007-2009 force rotation announced by the Defense Department in November, all the affected units are preparing for yearlong deployments in support of operations in Iraq or Afghanistan, USAREUR said."

[KoKo]

8. I thought Italy pulled all it's troops out? This doesn't make sense..

And, I thought Germany was down to very few troops. Can Bush have convinced them that his Surge will work if he only has help?

[Richard Steele]

9. Not German & Italian troops; it's US troops currently stationed there. nm

[KoKo]

15. ahh...thanks for clarification....n/t

[DoYouEverWonder]

29. Well I guess

they won't be voting Republican next time.

[tabasco]

11. Godspeed to them all.

Their CINC is a modern day Nero.

[bigbrother05]

12. Thanks Lebkuchen

Don't keep up with Stripes everyday since coming back stateside, but know the Euro troops have had their share of rotations (tours) in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of those listed are bound for Iraq; choppers, airborne, and transportation units from the info, not exactly the folks you'd think would be needed to "police" Baghdad. The units going to Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) are support units; finance, MPs, etc.

Not sure the folks headed to Iraq are the start of "augmentation", but they would sure be handy to respond to threats that might need a quick strike capability with boots on the ground and the support to keep them there for a while.

Edit to add: Hope you survived the storm ok, sounded pretty scary.

[lebkuchen]

18. Yes

Those in the Ansbach (Katterbach) area had been moved from Giebelstadt, which was a complete mystery to them, as Giebelstadt had great housing and services. Ansbach can't begin to compete. Just another incentive taken away from military members. Many are now planning to get out after this rotation, so that would be in 1-1/2 to 2 years. When the dem president takes over, he/she will inherit a broken army. Bush plans to go down and out by taking "his" military with him.

[Zhade]

26. Airborne? Why the hell would they need to parachute into Iraq?

Is this force protection for post-assault on Iran?

Fuck, they're really going to try to do this, aren't they?

We have to stop them. The soldiers need to be home, and b*s*co in fucking prison.

[ohio2007]

14. On an unrelated side note, how about closing bases in Europe ? The Soviet

threat has gone the way of the Berlin wall. After sixty years, I say it's safe to cut and run from the fatherland.

[lebkuchen]

19. European bases are being closed, rapidly.

There will be a handful of "enduring" bases remaining....

Kaiserslautern/Landstuhl/Ramstein/Stuttgart/Vilsek/Graf/Garmisch/Ansbach. Just another incentive removed from the army career--a tour of Europe with the family.

The US army is expanding into Romania and Bulgaria now, 6 month unaccompanied rotations on old Soviet bases, and we're creating a command in Africa.

[bigbrother05]

25. Wiesbaden, BENELUX, and Italy, too.

Have to wonder if they get their 92K plus up whether the German bases will go away so fast. They can't build the facilities fast enough in the states to house the 35K Army troops that are supposed to leave Europe if they add 65K during the same period.

Know what you mean about the folks from Gieb, the facilities in Wuerzburg are far superior. The plan is to build up the Katterbach (Ansbach) community with military construction if the surge and BRAC don't suck up all the Pentagon spending. It's going to be a tough sell to keep on schedule for anything outside of Graf (almost finished) or Vicenza.

[lebkuchen]

27. How much longer will Aviano be w/us?

Now that Berlusconi is finished, the Italians are hoping the same for Americans, protesting around Aviano to get the AF out.

[Trajan]

20. Herr Ginger Bread .....

Fick Bushe ....

Thanks Leb, for bringing us the REAL issues; from across the big pond to our ears ....

[lebkuchen]

21. Hi Trajan

No problem! Got your stiff drink ready for the SOTU Address? :)

[Marie26]

22. This is in addition

to the "surge" of 20,000 troops, right?

[DixieBlue]

23. This isn't part of the "surge"?

If it's not, well, that's f*cked up. Not that this whole situation isn't all ready.

[Marie26]

24. I don't think so

It looks like the OP's link is broken. The article says:

"Some 8,500 soldiers from 43 units in Germany and Italy have received official word that they will be deploying to either Iraq or Afghanistan later this year, U.S. Army Europe officials announced Monday.

Part of the 2007-2009 force rotation announced by the Defense Department in November, all the affected units are preparing for yearlong deployments in support of operations in Iraq or Afghanistan, USAREUR said.

The deployment is not part of the increase of troops announced by President Bush earlier this month."

http://stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=42982

So these 8500 troops will be sent in addition to the 20,000 troops already allocated for the "surge". Also, the rotation lasts 2 years - from 2007 to 2009. Sounds less like a "surge" and more like a permanent "escalation" in the Middle East.

[Megahurtz]

30. Is it World War III Yet?

:(

[fNord]

"sigh" Yep

:nuke:

[fNord]

36. sorry, only wanted to post that once.....n/t

:o

[fNord]

"sigh" Yep

:nuke:

[fNord]

35. "sigh" Yep

:nuke:

[Dead_Parrot]

31. Now there's an interesting list

Seems to consist mainly of logistics and aviation units. Why, if I didn't know better, I'd think someone was planning some air strikes..

[Towelie]

32. No, airstrikes are handled by the Air Force. All these are Army units. nt