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A great question from the comments on this post:
Can anyone tell me what the 150000+ troops are actually doing right now in Iraq?An excellent question. I wouldn't use the term, but if you're a "complete illiterate" I don't doubt you represent a large segment of the population, and that's why I'm here. The quick answer is that the combat elements require a very large number of support units. Any military installation can be looked at as a city, providing all the necessary services - police, fireman, "banks" (finance specialists), construction crews, communications infrastructure and folks to repair it - on and on. Essentially most of the larger outposts in Iraq can be looked at in that manner.I understand the direct combat operations in Anbar Province and the continued operations in the Mosul area, but where are the rest of the forces and what are they really doing? For example the figures for US forces in Operation Steel Curtain were I believe 2500 Marines. What is everyone else doing and is what they are doing important enough that it justifies the daily IED losses? Is there another way to keep the lid on things until Iraqi Units hit some sort of critical mass?
Is it the constant IED attacks which are the most discouraging ? Everyone understands when Marines are casualties in Offensive Operations, but is there no better way to use forces than expose them to bomb blasts while patrolling the same areas again and again? I just have the feeling that this is not very useful or at least not useful enough to warrant the negative side effects.
Just asking as I am a complete illiterate when it comes to counter-insurgency tactics.
- Doug F
Also there are civil affairs troops - those who are rebuilding Iraq. They are combat capable, but clearing the ville isn't their primary task.
And then you have the various levels of headquarters and requisite functionaries.
Add in the Air Force with the massive task of airlifting everything from point A to B. Several AF camps over there contain all the elements of the "small city" supporting lots of folks handling cargo and passengers, air traffic controllers, base operations managers, weather forecasters, aircraft maintainers, fire crews, security forces...
An army of personnel specialists is there to make sure all the paperwork is done. Annoying but essential.
Doctors and nurses - several hospitals full. Dentists. Chaplains. Supply folks. Heating and Air Conditioning repair guys. Computer repair guys. Vehicle maintainers. On and on and on.
These folks are all armed too - or at least each has a weapon nearby. Those who go "outside the wire" - combat, civil affairs, explosive ordnance teams - sometimes refer to their support elements as "Fobbits" - those who never leave the FOB, Forward Operating Base. But they are all at risk too - rocket and mortar attacks occur daily, and although rarely scoring a hit they sometimes do "get lucky". One way to look at it is that these are the folks who don't get to shoot back. Combat crew or not, incoming mortar rounds when you just hit your bunk - or worse, when you just stepped into the shower - can really ruin your day.
That's just a quick and partial answer to the question "What is everyone else doing and is what they are doing important enough that it justifies the daily IED losses?" Justify the losses? No - the end state justifies the losses (or not, if we cut and run), and that's the issue of the day.
Anyhow - give all due credit to the guys who "hit the streets". But take nothing away from the rest of the folks who are there, far from home, under fire, and getting the job done.
