Drip, drip, drip; 615 more US troops to Iraq

| September 28, 2016

last convoy out of Iraq

Our buddy, Kristina Wong at The Hill reports that the Pentagon is sending another 615 US troops to Iraq to augment the 4700 troops already there.

“At the request of myself and [Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford], and with the support and approval of [Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi], President Obama has authorized approximately 600 additional U.S. troops to further enable Iraqi forces,” [Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in a statement].

The current number of U.S. troops officially authorized for Iraq is 4,647. The additional forces would bring that number to 5,262. There are at least hundreds more who are deployed temporarily that aren’t part of that official count.

In April, the Pentagon sent two packages of 200 and 250 more troops to Iraq. In July, they sent 560 troops. In June 2014, he said wasn’t sending US combat troops to Iraq. Also in June 2014, then-Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, currently spokesman for the State department said “This is not a combat mission, they are not being sent to participate in combat,” of the first 300 to deploy during that iteration. Just in the last few months, another 1600 were added. Just for Mosul.

It would help if there was a strategy beyond looking like we’re not at war.

Category: Terror War

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Devtun

Just terrific, and the army is getting whittled down to the smallest it’s been since 1942. Thanks Obungles.

Martinjmpr

I liked this movie a lot better when it was set in Southeast Asia. They had much hotter wimminz. 😀

HMC Ret

Martinjmpr: It’s kinda hard to make a comparison. All that can be seen on many of the ME women are two eyes peering from a large black plastic trash can bag.

/sarc off/

SFC D

Take a visit to Bahrain. A taxi will pull up, a couple of abaya clad ninja wimminz will step out. Abaya gets removed and there’s a beautiful lady standing there, dressed in such a fashion that allah himself would reconsider his hatred of the female form.

Ex-PH2

Can we reboot this movie?

AW1Ed

Note to the next President, four words- Status of Forces Agreement.

Or get out 100%.

I like option 2.

Thunderstixx

One of my friends has a young son in the US Army at Ft Campbell KY, 101’St Airborne or Airmobile now.
She told me something that I find hard to believe, that troops have to buy all their own sheets, toilet paper gun oil and all kinds of things that makes life in a military installation a bit more livable.
I am amazed that this is happening now.
Is this right and if it is, it is no wonder why nobody wants to re-up anymore…
Sheesh…

Blaster

I can’t speak for everyone but I’m gonna say no on the TP and gun oil. Bed sheets are pretty much on you after BCT and AIT.

Ex-PH2

Seriously? You have to buy your own sheets? Geez, they were issued to us at Great Lakes in the WAVES’ barracks. You dropped them on Friday or Saturday and picked up a new set. Does that mean you can have your own bedroom sets, like those frilly lace-edged sheets and pillowcases on sale at Kohl’s? And what about your own bedroom furniture? I think that makes a huge difference, too. I mean, for Pete’s sake, you have to sleep on that stuff and if you need a special mattress for your sore old tired back, why shouldn’t you be able to go to Home Restore and buy it?

And I thought I was joking when I added the rumor to a story that the characters in it would have to pay for all their deployment expenses and home logistics. What’s next? Charging people for living in the barracks?

Blaster

Now days, if you live in the barracks, you pretty much get make your room your own personal space. There are a few rules about type and amount of furniture, but yep, you can have hello kitty sheets or Star Wars. Nothing that is considers offensive or racist tho, so I’m sure no matter what you have, you’ll offend someone.

HMC Ret

I’m thinking the Hello Kitty sheets are most popular among the ‘Chelsea’ Manning crowd.

I knew few Corpsmen whose sheets, towels, toiletries, etc. were not supplied by the clinic or hospital where they worked. ‘Supplied’ as in stolen/borrowed/misappropriated.

OkdManchu

You’re kidding me!? Any sheets you want?

What happened to the stiff cotton white sheets and the green wool blanket? Tuck under and around the corners on a tight 45 degree fold?

We used to sleep on top of a made bed with our poncho liner. Then our bed was already made when we fell out for pt.

Blaster

Yep, the stiff sheets and green wool blanket goes away after AIT.

Ex-PH2

Do you have to put up with a roommate that snores?

Timothy J. McCorkle

LOL I snore LOUD always have.. 1975 January in Greatlakes First Night after clothing issue. CC Wakes me early because there are brand new boondockers all over my Bunk….

GR_ATC

Not in the Air Force!

A Proud Infidel®™

So they’re not being sent as Combat Troops, is that a cheap shot to deny them Imminent Danger pay? I’m sure that B. Hussein 0bama & Company would rather hand that money to illegal aliens and welfare flunkies.

Blaster

And Iran. Don’t forget about Iran!

Chip

Some of them are fighting especially the Arty units.

Chip
Ex-PH2

Dragon Slayers? HEY!!! I haven’t even published that book yet and they’re stealing my ideas? Those meanies!!!

How do you send them a care package? I was thinking of some romance novels and popcorn. They probably need a little diversion.

Chip

Nope. No combat going on here.

Silentium Est Aureum

Just another pile of warm runny shit to hand off to the next administration.

“Combat? Troops? Fuck it, as long as nobody bumps my tee time at Kaneohe on January 21st.”

Butch

Too few to do any good.

Far too many to die or be maimed for Obungle’s ego.

cato

Obama’s incompetence is showing …AGAIN !

JarHead Pat

I`m sure that cocksucker in the White House said no boots on the ground.

Ex-PH2

Well, tonight, he said ‘sometimes you have to do what’s hard’, and I almost sprayed my monitor screen over that.

That remark comes from someone who has never had to do anything HARD in his entire life.

The Stranger

Tell him Ex…dude never had a real job in his life until politics.

HMC Ret

The only thing ‘hard’ on ofailure was third grade. Those kids are adopted.

Ex-PH2

Thank you, Chief. Being the polite person that I am, I hesitated to even infer that there might be a ‘problem’.

Casey

From what I’ve heard that’s not true. At least not according to those who call him “bath house Barry.”

The Stranger

Once more into the breach, my friends!

Essayons!
Bayonets!
Sappers, clear the way!

Well, I have one or two more left in me…but, for once, can the politicians let us win?

David

better hope you don’t hit a golden flow at work if you’re ingesting that grade of stuff

The Stranger

Not trying to sound enthusiastic about it…it just seems that our politicians lack the will to see things through to the end. So instead of making a decisive effort, we fight in dribs and drabs until the American people stop caring. Leaving us to fight for the same ground again.

JarHead Pat

My Dad said it reminds him of POTUS LBJ, fucking up South-East Asia.

HMC Ret

Crap, look at this quote:

“At the request of myself and [Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford], and with the support and approval of [Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi], President Obama has authorized approximately 600 additional U.S. troops to further enable Iraqi forces,” [Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in a statement].

Did anyone get omitted? It’s like a committee made the damn decision so no one person can be held responsible in the event the decision goes south. The only person not asked for approval was me. Jeez

General Mattis would have said: “I’m sending more troops. Got a problem with that?”

SPGhost

Once again, proving Dumbocrats cannot be trusted with, and should have absolutely NOTHING to do with national defense, national security or warfighting. Barry, go back to your bitch-slapping with Rahman Noddlesuck. And take Pig-In-A-Pantsuit with you.

lily

This whole thing is just retarded. Obama declares the war over in Kosovo but still gives them the armed forces expeditionary medal. He declared the war over in Afghanistan and still gives them the global war on terrorism expeditionary medal. Obama made up a new campaign medal for operation inherent resolve after declaring the Iraq war over. If their wasn’t a war going on then their wouldn’t be a need for a campaign medal. We don’t give campaign medals for people serving in Japan or Germany.

https://www.armytimes.com/story/military/2016/05/29/award-rules-set-inherent-resolve-campaign-medal/84776676/

Hack Stone

Those additional troops are being deployed to provide training to the Iraqi Army on how to integrate transgendered recruits into their forces. Plus, The Combined Federal Campaign is kicking off, and it will look good on OfficercEvaluations if they exceed their goals.

Wilcox

“This is not a combat mission, they are not being sent to participate in combat”

They may not have a choice.

By the by, who trains foreign combat troops? American combat troops. The legalize gymnastics of this administration gives me a gut ache.

Mike szalay

Sounds just like
LBJ and the best and brightest crew.You all know what that got us.