Wed 21 May 2008
FORT CARSON
BRIGADE
HEADING
TO IRAQ
HEADING TO IRAQ Troops expected to leave in September for 12 months
A Fort Carson brigade will head to Iraq this year, the Pentagon announced Monday, formalizing a decision that’s been known for months.
The 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division, which recently wrapped up a month of training in California’s Mojave Desert, is expected to leave Colorado in September for a 12-month tour.
The soldiers in the brigade have known for more than a year that they were scheduled to head overseas.
The Pentagon, though, issues formal orders only a few months before units head out.
The 3,800-soldier brigade is one of two armored units at the post that are equipped with M-1 tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles.
The troops have been training for nearly a year to tackle the full mix of work they’ll see in Iraq from rebuilding towns to fighting insurgent groups.
The Army’s emphasis in Iraq this year is to stiffen government troops while overseeing rebuilding work in major cities including Baghdad and Mosul.
Those plans have been disrupted in recent weeks by a Shiite uprising that has led to strife in eastern Baghdad and daily attacks on U.S. forces there including Fort Carson’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
The unit is loaded with experience.
It was formed at Fort Carson in 2006 from the remnants of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, which moved to Texas. It has hundreds of soldiers who have served two combat tours in Iraq.
When the 2nd Brigade leaves for war, it will increase the number of Fort Carson troops in Iraq to more than 10,000.
Monday’s announcement covered deployments of more than 42,000 troops, including 25,000 active duty soldiers who will go to Iraq in the fall. The deployments will maintain a level of 15 brigades in Iraq, about 140,000 troops — the number military leaders expect to be in Iraq at the end of July after planned withdrawals are completed.
will head to Iraq this year, the Pentagon announced Monday, formalizing a decision that’s been known for months. The 2nd Brigade
Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division, which recently wrapped up a month of training in California’s Mojave Desert, is expected to leave Colorado in September for a 12-month tour. The soldiers in the brigade
have known for more than a year that they were scheduled to head overseas. The Pentagon, though, issues formal orders only a few months before units head
out. The 3,800-soldier brigade
is one of two armored units at the post that are equipped with M-1 tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles. The troops have been training for nearly a year to tackle the full mix of work they’ll see in Iraq
from rebuilding towns to fighting insurgent groups. The Army’s emphasis in Iraq
this year is to stiffen government troops while overseeing rebuilding work in major cities including Baghdad and Mosul. Those plans have been disrupted in recent weeks by a Shiite uprising that has led to strife in eastern Baghdad and daily attacks on U.S. forces there including Fort Carson’s 3rd Brigade
Combat Team. The unit is loaded with experience.
It was formed at Fort Carson in 2006 from the remnants of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, which moved to Texas. It has hundreds of soldiers who have served two combat tours in Iraq
. When the 2nd Brigade
leaves for war, it will increase the number of Fort Carson troops in Iraq to more than 10,000. Monday’s announcement covered deployments of more than 42,000 troops, including 25,000 active duty soldiers who will go to Iraq
in the fall. The deployments will maintain a level of 15 brigades in Iraq, about 140,000 troops — the number military leaders expect to be in Iraq at the end of July after planned withdrawals are completed.
By TOM ROEDER THE GAZETTE