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thedrifter
02-19-04, 06:02 AM
Marines preparing to take over Iraq's deadliest zone




By Otto Kreisher
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
3:27 p.m. February 18, 2004

WASHINGTON – An advance contingent of the Marine force going to Iraq next month is there now laying the groundwork for taking over responsibility for one of the most dangerous parts of that country, the Marine Corps commandant said Wednesday.

Camp Pendleton's 1st Marine Expeditionary Force has several thousand people in Iraq working closely with soldiers of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division the Marines will relieve and with the Iraqi security forces they will work with, Gen. Michael Hagee said.

The Marines are learning from the 82nd how to prepare their ground troops and helicopter crews for greatest safety and how to equip vehicles and aircraft for greatest protection. They also are learning how the 82nd deals with the deadly roadside bombs that have inflicted most of the U.S. casualties, Hagee told reporters.

"We're probably going to be tested when we go in. But we've been working very hard, both with our own forces and with the U.S. Army to make sure that when we transition over, there is no letup from what the 82nd is doing," the top Marine said.

Hagee said a crucial part of their preparation for taking over portions of the troublesome Sunni Triangle, including Fallujah, has been working with the 82nd soldiers to establish relationships with the Iraqis in their zone. They also are developing intelligence networks, "to make that transition as smooth as possible," he added.

The Marines have been talking to the Army and other allied troops in Iraq to learn how they avoid the deadly improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, that have caused so many casualties, he said. And they are working with the military research organizations and with industry to acquire technology to counter the roadside bombs, most of which are remotely detonated.

But one of the big advantages the Marines have, Hagee said, is that they will bring a lot of "boots on the ground."

"The 82nd Airborne told us one of the ways you prevent IEDs from going off is to have infantry around," he said.

Because the Marines are organized as a light infantry force, Hagee said, "we bring a lot of infantry."

The 25,000 Marines going to Iraq include nine ground battalions with about 900 infantrymen each, he said.

They also will bring their own helicopters and C-130 transport planes, mostly from the 3rd Marine Air Wing at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station, he said. "We will have aircraft survivability equipment on all our aircraft. Everything our scientists and industry can come up with, we're going to equip our aircraft with."

And the Marines will be able to use a variety of unmanned aerial vehicles to survey their operating area and highways over which they are traveling, Hagee said.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/iraq/20040218-1527-cnsmarines.html


Sempers,

Roger
:marine:

thedrifter
02-19-04, 06:05 AM
Iraq-bound general stresses Pacific forces' role in maintaining stability


By Fred Zimmerman, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Thursday, February 19, 2004


CAMP COURTNEY, Okinawa — The 3rd Marine Division’s commanding general, on his way to a tour in Iraq, wants to remind his Marines and sailors of how important their mission is in the Pacific Region.

Not everyone can be on the front lines, battling terror in Iraq or Afghanistan, Maj. Gen. Joseph F. Weber said Tuesday. But even thousands of miles from the fight, he said, his troops are vital to Asia-Pacific stability.

Weber, who’s leaving Okinawa on Friday and will report to Coalition Joint Task Force-7 in Iraq in March, said he’s sure everyone in the division would like to deploy with him.

“Everybody knows that every Marine and sailor in this division would like to have the opportunity to go to Iraq, because that’s where all the action on the ground is occurring with respect to the global war on terrorism,” Weber said. “But I go back to the issue of the importance of the theater cooperation plan and having Marines over here — command and control headquarters over here — a presence, because the global war on terrorism is global and it’s got to be controlled over here.”

Weber said the Asia-Pacific region has its share of “bad characters,” but by holding bilateral and combined exercises, the United States and its allies are letting them know to behave.

It’s a very “strong message to the terrorists that are running around here that we’re not going to put up with this,” Weber said of the U.S. presence in the region. “Don’t get distracted by the big effort over in Iraq and Afghanistan — don’t try anything here because we’re watching you, and we’re prepared and ready to act.”

Weber said regional security is not compromised even though four units usually deployed to train on Okinawa have been targeted for an Iraq deployment instead.

He said the division feels the impact of the loss, but the young officers and staff noncommissioned officers have stepped up to the plate and met the challenge.

While losing the four units may have the appearance of spreading forces thin in the region, Weber said there is actually a positive side to it.

“That creates a great deal of training opportunities for other Marines back here, who can pick up and do other things,” said the 33-year veteran. “We have artillerymen in the 12th Marines acting as provisional rifle companies to continue on our exercises and our engagement activities. We have Marines in our [Headquarters and Service] Battalions and our companies who are stepping up and doing more tactically oriented things. So I can’t stress enough the importance of people stepping it up a level.”

Weber said he will face his own challenges when he reports to CJTF-7, including working with a coalition staff of 800 to 900 people.

“I’ve had some time on a joint staff before, but I think it’s a different ball game where I’m going,” Weber said. “I’ve got a lot to learn and I’ve got to come up to speed real quick because there are things that are happening over there that need to happen on time and I need to get up to speed where I can assist that. There’s a transition of the government coming up, there’s preparations to hold elections, when the time is right, coming up, so the big challenge is to set the conditions so the people of Iraq can enjoy and realize freedom, and that’s going to be a very big challenge. There’s been a lot of progress made, but there’s an awful lot of work yet to do and I look forward to being able to be a part of that.”

Weber said he’s not too worried about his safety in Iraq.

“Compared to those young soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who are down in the trenches and on the streets every day, I consider myself to be in a relatively safe environment, and I’m not too worried,” Weber said. It’s the troops “who are going out there every day on those patrols, on those convoys, on those meeting engagements with local leaders. In my book, they’re the real heroes and we’ve got to make sure they’re supported.”

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=20522

Sempers,

Roger
:marine: