Carter: More US special ops headed to Iraq.

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 20:06:07 -0500

Well, I'm sad more Special Ops are heading to Iraq to engage Islamic State Militants with the Iraqs and Kurds. IMO, we're going to be there forever. Carter also said more troops may be sent later. So, here it is folks. The warmongers get what they want and those against sending more Americans into combat, like me, have to suck it up and pray we don't lose too many of our own.
And now to the rest of the sad news:
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WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Tuesday that the United States will send expeditionary military personnel into battle with Iraqi and Kurdish forces against Islamic State militants as part of a stepped-up war effort ordered by the White House.

The special operators will assist the Iraqis and peshmerga forces as well as conduct raids, free hostages, gather intelligence and capture Islamic State leaders, according to Carter’s testimony to the House Armed Services Committee. The secretary also said the United States could increase the number of military trainers in Iraq and special operators deployed to Syria. He did not say how many special operators would be deployed.

http://www.stripes.com/news/middle-east/carter-more-us-special-ops-headed-to-iraq-1.381327

Carter: More US special ops headed to Iraq

Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Tuesday that the United States will send expeditionary military personnel into battle with Iraqi and Kurdish forces against Islamic State militants as part of a stepped-up war effort ordered by the White House.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Dec 1 at 2015 8:17 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 20:17:03 -0500

Works for me! I commend the President for his use of the Military Intelligence and Special Forces Community. Restored our Honor, Unlike what his Predecessor did!

Response by SSG Michael Hartsfield made Dec 1 at 2015 9:59 PM

SSG Michael Hartsfield — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 21:59:40 -0500

This sucks to the highest degree of suckability, mainly because I know that many of my PSYOP Brothers and Sisters will be going to Iraq. On the plus side, the Peshmerga are fighters and will work with our Special Ops teams. I hope they all come back home and soon

Response by SGT Rick Ash made Dec 1 at 2015 11:13 PM

SGT Rick Ash — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 23:13:29 -0500

I hate to see this. ISIS loves social media sites showing their beheading of innocents. I will be in prayer for these troops. Thank God the Islamic Jihadists have not learned of the hellish techniques we saw in S.Vietnam. The booby traps were crude but effective. One injured military person on the battlefield takes 3 service members out of action. Even a small wound would easily get infected and proper foot care was SO important but difficult to maintain. I used to save up the cigarettes that came with C-rations and trade for a pair of dry socks. Last year at church there were 10 of us onstage the Sunday before Veteran's Day, this year only 6. 4 of "The Greatest Generation" passed... :-( We recently lost a hometown soldier in Afghanistan. His Mother has worked tirelessly to insure He will not be forgotten. She has organized a Memorial 5K Marathon in his name and had a local highway named after him. All proceeds from the sale of Marathon T-shirts go to The Wounded Warrior Project.
I know that I am Blessed, I made it home and at my age (63), both of my parents are still alive and healthy plus, we attend the same church.
God Bless our troops!
Thanks,
Rick

Response by LTC Bink Romanick made Dec 1 at 2015 11:35 PM

LTC Bink Romanick — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 23:35:18 -0500

SGT Private RallyPoint Member I have no problem with sending more troops. Anyone killing ISIS Is OK with me.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 2 at 2015 6:23 AM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 06:23:17 -0500

This was pretty much inevitable to happen. Especially when you never really had a cohesive strategy in the first place.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 2 at 2015 8:18 AM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 08:18:30 -0500

I heard this last night and here are my thoughts, purely from a strategic perspective. If a former or current Operator can correct me...I'm very willing (and would be relieved) to be corrected.

Isn't the entire profile of SPECOPS small unit operations? I always understood that the Army's Special Forces are designed to infiltrate, create and advise counter-insurgencies, perform high level intelligence gathering, and conduct direct action raids and asset capture/neutralization. SEALs, as it was always explained to me, conduct similar missions, but are tailored more towards rapid insertion/extraction. Who knows what the true capabilities of Delta Force and DEVGRU are, but I'd assume very much the same...just on a much higher level.

What I've never heard of, is Special Operations Command fighting an entire war on the ground, without significant support in the background. I don't want to play "armchair admiral", but it seems to me ISIS is a far cry from Al Queda...with at least a 30,000 man strong army in the field, and what "seems" to be less an "insurgency", and more an emerging state infrastructure. If conservative estimates of total SPECOPS strength are accurate, including Air Force assets and MARSOC, are we looking at these forces acting more as a high-level BCT, with some yet to be spoken of support elements (that sounds unlikely)...or is this essentially a re-play of how the last one got set up?

The article seems to assume Iraqi and Kurdish forces will be the "main body"...Is anyone else as skeptical of that as I am?

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 2 at 2015 4:36 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 16:36:55 -0500

didn't cos GEN Miley say in one of his statements on the Army that SF cannot do it all?

Response by SMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2015 12:43 PM

SMSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 12:43:34 -0500

There is nothing and no one over there worth one drop of American blood. No, nothing and no one!