U.S. Forces in the Middle East — Update

On Jan. 29, the U.S. military announced it has activated almost 16,000 more Reserve troops, bringing the total number to almost 95,000.

A Jan. 30 report announced the deployment of eight U.S. Coast Guard 110-foot cutters to the Persian Gulf along with 600 crewmembers in preparation for a possible confrontation with Iraq. Their mission will be to provide port security and surveillance for the U.S. ships and growing number of troops beginning to arrive in the region.

British authorities announced the calling up of 4,500 reservists Jan. 30 as the British government is putting the finishing touches on its military deployments to the Persian Gulf region. They will be joining the 1,500 other reservists who have already been mobilized this month

A Jan. 30 report announced the deployment of 40 U.S. Marines from Marine Corps Base Hawaii to join their 4th Force Reconnaissance Company already in the Middle East. They specialize in coordinating and conducting amphibious reconnaissance, deep-ground reconnaissance and surveillance, and limited scale raids. They will augment the Marine Expeditionary Force from Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Also on Jan. 30, two more Rhode Island National Guard units were alerted for impending deployment to the Persian Gulf region. These include the 119th and 115th Military Police Companies of the 118th Military Police Battalion, and also the U.S. Marine Reserve's General Support Motor Transport Company, a Providence-based unit expected to deploy somewhere in Southwest Asia.

According to a report by the Beaumont, Texas, Beaumont Enterprise, the USNS Fisher began uploading various military equipment, supplies, and vehicles Jan. 30 in preparation for war with Iraq. Also, the MV Tellus, a roll-on/roll-off Navy transporter, is scheduled to arrive at the port of Antwerp, Belgium, to load additional helicopters, tanks, and other equipment belonging to the U.S. Army V Corps.

On Jan. 30, Jordan granted U.S. aircraft over-fly rights in the event of a possible war with Iraq. As a response, the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier and her Battle Group may stay in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, rather than travel to the Red Sea or the Persian Gulf.

On Jan. 31, the U.S. Navy's MV Cape Vincent departed the Port of Beaumont, Texas, for the Persian Gulf. Also, in Charleston, S.C., the USNS Gordon was loading military vehicles and containers, though it was unclear as to when it would be departing for the region. Also, as reported by North Carolina's Wilmington Star, the USNS Watson is entered the Port of Wilmington, along with its sister ship the USNS Red Cloud, and began on-loading materiel for the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing in preparation for the possible war.

On Jan. 31, it was announced that 511 members of the North Dakota National Guard's 142nd Engineering Combat Battalion (Heavy), 68th Troop Command, were being deployed to the Persian Gulf in preparation for a possible war with Iraq. The battalion specializes in assisting division, corps, and theater Army forces by accomplishing general engineering tasks and limited mobility, counter mobility, and survival tasks. They are also involved in constructing and repairing landing strips, buildings, and other structures.

Also on Jan. 31, it was reported by a New Mexico television station that 70 soldiers of Holloman Air Force Base's 49th Fighter Wing began deploying for U.S. CENTCOM's Area of Operational Responsibility in preparation for a later arrival, possibly Feb.4 or Feb. 5, of an undisclosed amount of the Wing's F-117A "Nighthawk" Stealth Fighters.

On Jan. 31, about 700 soldiers comprising Fort Carson, Colorado's U.S. Army 59th Military Police Battalion, 59th Quartermaster Company, 502nd Personnel Support Detachment, 2nd Heavy Equipment Transport Company, and a fuel specialist unit all received their deployment orders ahead of a possible military confrontation with Iraq.

Also on Jan. 31, the U.S. Army Reserve's 70th Regional Support Command announced the deployment of 500 reservists of the 396th Combat Support Hospital to Fort Lewis, Washington before deployment to the Persian Gulf. Also included in the deployment are 227 members of the Army Reserve's Bravo Company, 5th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, 244th Aviation Brigade. They specialize in high-altitude search and rescue missions.

On Feb. 1, the USS Montpelier, a nuclear submarine, along with a British flotilla consisting of the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, helicopter carrier HMS Ocean, and three destroyers and seven supply ships, all transited the Suez Canal as they make their way to the Persian Gulf in preparation for war. These vessels of the Royal Navy Task Force are expected to join the other 10 Royal Navy vessels already in the region. Accompanying the British flotilla are elements of the Royal Marines and British Navy sailors.

On Feb. 2, 150 soldiers will depart their home base in Fort Bliss, Texas and deploy with the U.S. Army's 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade for possible operations against Iraq.

On Feb. 3, about 60 U.S. Army Reservists of the 228th Transportation Corps and about 120 National Guardsmen of Florida's 269th Engineering Company and 107th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment have been activated for possible deployment to the Persian Gulf.

A report by Defense Week Feb. 3 indicated that U.S. Central Command's headquarters at Camp As Sayliyah, Doha, Qatar, could be fully staffed and operational by as early as the week of Feb. 7.

Also on Feb. 3, The Telegraph announced that British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon will be tripling the number of Royal Air Force personnel in the Persian Gulf region. The Secretary is expected to announce that he is sending more than 40 further combat aircraft and up to 20 more support aircraft as the final part of Britain's contribution to the possible war effort. The total amount of British ground troops is expected to be around 35,000-40,000.

On Feb. 3, it emerged that elements of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), possibly from the Defense Threat Reduction Information Analysis Center (DTRIAC), have deployed from its base in New Mexico and have been in the U.S. Central Command's Area of Operation, possibly Kuwait, for some time. The mission of the DTRA is to deter, reduce, and counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Its analysis center, the DTRIAC, is the key Department of Defense source of information and analysis on nuclear and conventional weapons-related topics.

A Feb. 3 report indicated that 100 men, consisting of U.S. Delta Force and Britain's Special Air Services, have mounted a six-day covert operation in western Iraq to locate key targets in the event of war. According to the Daily Telegraph, the special operations soldiers flew into Iraq from Jordan aboard Chinook helicopters.

Also on Feb. 3, 170 soldiers of the U.S. Army Reserves' 941st Transportation Company departed their base at the Charleston, South Carolina Naval Weapons Station for Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, where they will then be shipped off to the Persian Gulf in preparation for war. The unit specializes in refueling Army tanks from vantage points just behind the front lines. The Army's 841st Transportation Battalion at the Naval Weapons Station has also deployed, though their destination is still a secret.

On Feb. 4, Associated Press reported the deployment of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle from its port in Toulon to a position in the eastern Mediterranean Sea for an apparent, unrelated military exercise. Accompanying the carrier will be at least one Cassard class air defense destroyer, several other escorts and supply ships, and possibly a submarine. French Defense Ministry officials claimed the maneuver was planned long ago and irrespective of the current international situation, however President Jacque Chirac has been urging his military to be ready for "any eventuality."

Sources

Trista Talton, "Loading Up And Moving Out," Wilmington Star (NC) , Jan. 28, 2003

Reuters, "16,000 More Reservists Called To Duty," Los Angeles Times, Jan. 30, 2003

Carol Morello, "Coast Guard Heads For The Persian Gulf," The Washington Post, Jan. 30, 2003

Curtis Lum, "Hawaii Marine Reservists Get Call To Deploy," Honolulu Advertiser, Jan. 30 2003

Richard Norton-Taylor, "Medics In Call-Up Of 4,500 More Reservists," The Guardian, Jan. 31, 2003

Michael Corkery, "3 Guard Units Put On Alert For Activation," Providence Journal-Bulletin, Jan. 30, 2003

Unattributed, "Town Revives Tradition Of Soldier Send-Off," Washington Times, Jan. 31, 2003

KRQE News 13 Television, "Stealth Fighter Prep Team Departs Holloman AFB," Jan. 31, 2003

John Diedrich, "Fort Carson Ordered To Deploy 700 Troops," Colorado Springs GazetteJan. 31, 2003

Hal Bernton, "Washington Troop Call-Ups Accelerate," Seattle Times, Jan. 31, 2003

Rawya Rageh, "U.K., U.S. Vessels Head To Persian Gulf," Associated Press, Feb. 1. 2003

Laura Cruz, "150 Deployed From Fort Bliss," El Paso Times, Feb. 2, 2003

Scott Butler, "180 More Reservists, Guardsmen Called Up," Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville) , Feb. 3, 2003

Nathan Hodge, "Qatar Command Post To Become Operational," Defense Week, Feb. 3, 2003

Robin Gedye and Michael Smith, "RAF To Triple Gulf Presence This Week," The Guardian, Feb. 3, 2003

Michael Smith, "Pre-War War has Already Started," The Daily Telegraph, Feb. 3, 2003

Terry Joyce, "2 Local Units Get Their Marching Orders," Charleston (SC) Post and Courier, Feb. 3, 2003

Associated Press, "French Carrier Enters Eastern Mediterranean," Associated Press, Feb. 4, 2003

www.globalsecurity.org

Armond Caglar CDI Research Assistant acaglar@cdi.org Colin Robinson CDI Research Analyst crobinson@cdi.org

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