US sends additional troops to Middle East.

www.dailymail.co.uk...

The U.S. is sending troops to the Middle East in response to the surge in violence between Israel and Hezbollah and as the region teeters on the edge of an all-out war.

The Pentagon announced on Monday that 'additional' service members would be deployed to join the 40,000 already stationed in the region along with a dozen warships and fighter jet squadrons.

Israeli forces have ramped up their airstrikes deep inside Lebanon and the State Department has warned all Americans to leave as the risk of conflict spirals to levels not seen in years.


There's a lot of debate elsewhere that this is part of a routine deployment. That is only partly true. Yes, elements of the 101st are rotating out the 10th Mountain Division. However, the remainder is an escalation and their are more than support elements being deployed. According to open sources, they are deploying combat elements that will do more than peace keep.

a reply to: QuixoticNinja

I think the deployment is mainly to discourage other regional actors from getting involved.

We’ve already rotated an aircraft carrier and the addition of forces shows we’re ready should Iran get involved.

I imagine one of the concerns is that Iran could still retaliate for the bomb in Tehran, lack of a ceasefire in Gaza that was expected some time ago, and a major jump in escalations in Lebanon.

If you asked me a month ago, I’d have been very concerned this war was going to get a lot hotter. But now I think Israel may have hit hezbollah in such a way they may not be able to retaliate. Their leadership has been hit hard and I’m sure everyone is paranoid with communications, so it will take longer to reorganize.

As for Iran, the new president appears to be much more moderate, which isn’t hugely impactful since his position is more figure head. But his communication can at least be indicative of the climate there. Not to mention, Hezbollah was considered the tip of the spear for wearing out the iron dome. If they’re neutralized or heavily weakened, Iran may not be able to keep good leverage.

originally posted by: Terpene
a reply to: QuixoticNinja

In the name of baal we thank the USA for their endless stream of souls. Their sacrifice will not be remebered...

While we’ve wasted a lot of time, resources, and any perceived good will from the global community in the Middle East… We didn’t take many casualties if you look at the context in the scale of war we’ve been engaged in for decades.

That’s not to minimize our losses, for any of them on the Iraq side are a hard loss considering that war wasn’t needed.

But endless souls seems a bit dramatic. Russia and Ukraine have both lost scores more in just a few years compared to our decades of occupying two different nations, one of whom used to have the fourth largest military (Iraq).

The way the US and Israel conducts war is very different than a lot of conventional warfare. We focus more on air superiority and asymmetrical aspects.

a reply to: CriticalStinker

We have a systemic incompetence problem running rampant throughout the military and our entire government.

US Navy Oiler Runs Aground, Forcing Carrier Strike Group to Scramble for Fuel

Compounding the problem is the fact that the Big Horn is the only oiler the Navy has in the Middle East. One shipowner told gCaptain that the Navy is scrambling to find a commercial oil tanker to take its place and deliver jet fuel to the USS Abraham Lincoln.

a reply to: watchitburn

Logistics has been what made our dominance.

I’m wondering if that’s a speed bump, or something that will be hugely consequential. I’m leaning towards the former though.

originally posted by: CriticalStinker
a reply to: watchitburn

Logistics has been what made our dominance.

I’m wondering if that’s a speed bump, or something that will be hugely consequential. I’m leaning towards the former though.

Our navy and military have other issues too, isn't enlistment at historic lows?

In these troubled times, we need to have a well-manned, highly-trained force instead we are falling back on our technological and financial superiority. If Russia/Ukraine were to flare up or China move on Taiwan while our Navy is stuck in the Middle East we would have logistical issues from the getgo.

www.navytimes.com...

The Navy’s manning shortages are curbing the service’s ability to repair its ships while at sea, according to a watchdog report released Monday.

Sixty-three percent of executive officers — a ship’s second-in-command — surveyed reported that insufficient manning made it “moderately to extremely difficult to complete repairs while underway,” according to a Government Accountability Office report released Monday.

At-sea basic maintenance and repairs are critical to ensuring a ship can carry out its mission, according to the GAO.

But Monday’s report, based on interviews of sailors and leaders across the fleet, reveals that basic maintenance duties and repairs are hindered not only by manning shortages, but also by inaccurate Navy guidelines and substandard training.

As of late last year, the Navy was lacking nearly 14,000 enlisted sailors to keep its aircraft carriers, surface ships and attack submarines properly manned, according to the GAO.