What's the difference between a combat troop and a non-combat troop (other than pay-scale)?

[BuyingThyme]

Thank you.

[valerief]

1. Spin. Compromise. Deals. nt

[BuyingThyme]

2. I'm going with spin for now.

Anybody else?

[chascarrillo]

3. Combat troops engage in combat. Non-combat troops don't.

Hope this helps!

[BuyingThyme]

4. Then what is combat?

[Lex1775]

8. It depends on the branch...

Air Force: Fighter/Attack pilots, Bomber pilots, CSAR crews, USAF special ops.

Army: Armor, Infantry, Artillery, some Helicopter crews.

Navy: Corpsman (assigned to Marine units), Fighter/Attack pilots, SEALs, CSAR crews.

Marines: Infantry, Armor, Fighter/Attack pilots, Helicopter gunship crews, Artillery.

Those don't cover all of them though, they are just some broad generalizations. Typically non-combat troops are in support functions, i.e troops assigned to maintenance depots, cooks, non-battlefield medics, administration, dental, etc.

Pay scales for these troops are the same. An E-5 with 6 years of service handing out basketballs at the base gym makes them same base amount per month as an E-5 with six years of service in the infantry. If the E-5 in the infantry is currently deployed to a combat zone, he will get combat pay. If he is at his home base in a peacetime mode he receives the same amount as the E-5 at the gym.
(Note: Some qualifications in certain branches get you more pay per paycheck as a "bonus", jump qualified, SCUBA, flight pay, etc. These are job specific.)

[BuyingThyme]

10. No, what is combat in the context of Barack Obama's "withdrawal" plan?

[pampango]

5. I can remember reading that there are several support troops for each one in combat,

but I forget what the exact ratio is. Seems like it was 3 to 1 or 5 to 1; something that surprised me. Now that figure may be for the military at large not for troops that are "in country".

[Rick Myers]

6. It's called the tooth to tail ratio

Here's a recent Army publication on the subject:

http://cgsc.leavenworth.army.mil/carl/download/csipubs/mcgrath_op23.pdf

[pampango]

18. Thanks for the reference. Looks like it was 2.5 to 1 (non-combat to combat). n/t

[Ceela]

7. No difference.

There is no difference. They will just re-task troops to a different mission. Building infrastructure etc. The mission parameters will be different.

[BuyingThyme]

11. Welcome to DU, Ceela!

:hi:

[leftstreet]

9. And where do private contractors fit in all this?

Anyone know?

[BuyingThyme]

12. I've been wondering about that too.

Not only in terms of the "withdrawal," but in terms of the current state of affairs.

Are there 100K combat contractors in Iraq? None?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

13. Combat troops fight.

Non-combat troops are involved in logistics, driving supply trucks, air traffic control, communications, and any of a number of things that don't involve fighting.

Presumably if there's any fighting it'd involve Iraq's own security forces, and U.S. residual forces would supply logistical support.

[BuyingThyme]

14. My understanding is that...

Barack Obama's "non-combat" troops will be combating "terrorists."

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

15. My understanding is that...

there have never been any U.S. troops in Iraq fighting terrorists.

[BuyingThyme]

16. Then who are the non-terrorists whom the non-combat troops are not combating?

[leftstreet]

17. ...

:spray:

[RaleighNCDUer]

19. Combat troops go out looking for trouble,

non-combat troops sit back and wait for trouble to come to them.

In today's world, there's trouble enough for both.

[rug]

20. I expect they'll be called advisers before long.

[BuyingThyme]

21. I already head that today.

[jonnyblitz]

22. the non-combatants won't get shot at or blown up because the

"opposition" will automatically know they are non-combatant and refrain from attacking them. :sarcasm: :crazy:

the obama administration must think people are stupid.

[old mark]

23. From what I saw tonight, the troops in Iraq will be teaching the Iraqi

Army and police. In the past, a lot of this has been done by Special Forces (Green Berets) who are usually multi skilled and multi lingual.

In Vietnam, they were used to train and supervise Vietnamese troops-they did occasionally get involved in combat, but that was not their primary purpose.

I kind of got the impression this would be the case in Iraq.

mark