Return of the Stryker
One of the most successful units in Iraq has been the Stryker unit.The vehicle itself is quite an impressive one. It beats the hell out of a Humvee.
But what is more impressive are the guys that man these vehicles. One of these men is known on the internet as Buck Sargent. Buck, and others like him, actually engage in effective counterinsurgency. They have been able to quell the areas they have been to. Buck was in Kuwait on his way home after two tours when he got called back. His post, written a few days after he found out he was going to Baghdad is long but worth reading. Keep in mind this is a dedicated soldier who truly believes in the cause and is vocal about it.
I wish you well, Buck, and a safe return home.
My point in bringing this up is that almost all of the Stryker units they have are now being sent to Baghdad. 1,400 are being sent from Mosul. Up to 25,000 soldiers are slated for re-deployment from the states. They named the following brigades today.
1st Brigade 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.
Marine Regimental Combat Team 2, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
Marine Regimental Combat Team 6, Camp Lejeune.
So essentially, they are quite serious about quelling Baghdad.
If something is really going to change, it is coming soon. If this effort fails, I think it will be a fairly quick withdrawl.
After all the talk of turning points, we may truly be on the edge of one.
But what is more impressive are the guys that man these vehicles. One of these men is known on the internet as Buck Sargent. Buck, and others like him, actually engage in effective counterinsurgency. They have been able to quell the areas they have been to. Buck was in Kuwait on his way home after two tours when he got called back. His post, written a few days after he found out he was going to Baghdad is long but worth reading. Keep in mind this is a dedicated soldier who truly believes in the cause and is vocal about it.
I wish you well, Buck, and a safe return home.
My point in bringing this up is that almost all of the Stryker units they have are now being sent to Baghdad. 1,400 are being sent from Mosul. Up to 25,000 soldiers are slated for re-deployment from the states. They named the following brigades today.
1st Brigade 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.
Marine Regimental Combat Team 2, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
Marine Regimental Combat Team 6, Camp Lejeune.
So essentially, they are quite serious about quelling Baghdad.
If something is really going to change, it is coming soon. If this effort fails, I think it will be a fairly quick withdrawl.
After all the talk of turning points, we may truly be on the edge of one.
posted by Praguetwin at
7:29 PM
19 Comments:
I can't shake the feeling of the effort being analogous with a weak inner tube. You can squeeze it together in one spot and it just pops out somewhere else.
But I'm no military tactician, what would I know?
By
Cartledge, at 9:41 PM
There is also an element of, even before this propagandistly used, a "miracle weapon" that supposingly will snatch victory out of seemingly unwinnable situation. The American can-do-attitude just might not be enough if such an attitude ever was more than another myth among many others. This has a hint of problem solving capabilities of the GM in the mix; "Gentlemen, what we need is more of them horses under the hood!".
No, I am not anti-American.
By
Anonymous, at 10:27 PM
I tend to agree with both of these assesments. We will see if there is any hope very soon.
By
Praguetwin, at 7:35 AM
Couple ironies. You're right that the current stryker is highly effective. but it had all sorts of armor problems in its early deployments.
Even odder. The Stryker wouldn't even exist if it weren't for Gen. Shinseki who pushed it through almost single handedly after watching the Bosnia deployment.
That's the same Gen. Shinseki who got forcibly retired for saying we needed 300,000-400,000 troops to occupy Iraq.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 9:51 PM
Great post
Let us all hope for the best.
By
Anonymous, at 5:47 AM
Arch Stanton said: "Let us all hope for the best".
I am not poking fun at you but, could you define who are "us all" and what would "for the best" be?
Would "the best" be that the Americans could have a permanent puppet government and military bases in Iraq, thus negating Iran's ambitions to become the regional leader, and the oil fields would be back in the service of the motoring U.S.of A...and, almost forgot, the democracy THING established? Or maybe the best would be the infidels leaving the region and let the natives take care of themnselves?
By
Anonymous, at 10:04 AM
Mike,
The controversy has been largely put to rest because of how successful the stryker's have been.
I didn't know about the Shinseki connection, but it seems to me that he has once again proved that he knows what he is talking about.
By
Praguetwin, at 1:59 PM
Oh, Pekka and Arch,
I'll let you work that out yourselves.
By
Praguetwin, at 1:59 PM
Pekka
When I used the word “us”, I was referring to anyone who would include themselves into a group that want the people of Iraq to have their fledgling democracy floursh. And when I say the “best” I am referring to the above sentiment.
Are you not of this group? Is anyone else who posts here, not of this group? I would like to know.
Don’t worry, even if you were poking fun I have a thick skin.
By
Anonymous, at 3:55 PM
Arch
Short answer to your question is - no.
A little longer answer is; we (the West) have never honestly considered our political, military, and religious moves on the region based on the wants and needs of the Arabs or Muslims in general. Since the arbitary creation of Iraq we made it next to impossible for them to have any other kind of governance than what Uncle Saddam exerciced. Debate still rages as to what the real reasons and motives were behind the launching of the Iraqi adventure and I take a wild guess that it hardly had anything to do with overwhelming urge to spread Jeffersonian democracy for the willing.
Arch, I sincerely believe that we all (regular Joes) are manipulated by spinners and liers in high places and, to get the actual truth is, if not impossible, hard work that necessitates a constant questioning and an healthy disbelief. The Brittish Empire ended already in the late 40's but only now we are starting to get the strait goods on their rampage in the colonies.
By
Anonymous, at 1:14 AM
Pekka
I didn’t say “we” as in the "West", and I explained whom I meant when I said “us”. It’s Standard English. In the future please respond to what I actually write and not what you want to argue about.
So I will put you down as a "no" for Iraqi democracy.
By
Anonymous, at 5:35 AM
Sorry, I am not fluent in English and slow as molasses to boot!
Yes indeed, you can chalk me up as a non supporting member here for this particular sort of "democracy". I am not a great fan of president Putin but, his take on the Iraqi democracy is pretty well mine.
By
Anonymous, at 9:46 AM
Pekka
I am impressed; you have a good command of the English language for one who is not fluent. If I may ask, what is your native tongue?
By
Anonymous, at 4:15 PM
Guess I was right to buy that General Dynamics stock in Jan. 05!
I know, I'm supposed to be a good progressive and only buy shares of companies that make solar power, cruelty-free shoes, and the like. But I still have to live. At least GD doesn't sell arms to Israel.
By
Anne Rettenberg LCSW, at 4:31 PM
Arch,
Falttery always gets you somewhere(blushing), thanks! My native tongue is another important major language - Finnish. :)
By
Anonymous, at 11:42 PM
Pekka
It us my understanding that the differences between the Finnish language and the English language are so great, that these are some of the most difficult languages for either to understand. My hat goes off to you again.
By
Anonymous, at 12:08 AM
Hey Pekka,
I just met a Finnish guy here in Prague. His name is Jukka.
If I didn't know better I would think this was how all Finnish names ended.
By
Praguetwin, at 5:03 PM
Arch,
Cancel your Finnish lessons immediately cause you ain't gonna learn nuttin! The damn language, even for a Finn, is a big pain in you know where.
Praquetwin,
His and my names are very typical "old classics" and our family names tend to end with nen (Karvonen, Virtanen, Leppanen, Lehtinen etc.) unless one is from the Swedish minority. If Jukka was talking to you, he must have been under the influence of Urquel. We do not talk unless drunk and then you can't shut us up. :)
By
Anonymous, at 12:38 AM
He was hammered!!!!
By
Praguetwin, at 12:47 PM
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