Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Send Me...

The 2d Brigade Combat Team of the 3d Infantry Division is deploying back to Iraq in the coming weeks. This is the Brigade's fourth year-long rotation in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (in six and a half years of the Operation - for those of you keeping score at home) and while there are other (conventional) units that have as much time in theater as this Brigade, I don't believe there are any that have more. The Spartans did the Thunder Runs, overwatched the national elections, were the last surge brigade, and many, many other things and now go to do whatever it is that we're doing these days in Iraq. But most importantly they've fought their asses off because that's what Soldiers do. This Division isn't called the Rock of the Marne because of their ability to hand out HA (which they also do very well...).

So Godspeed to COL Sexton, CSM Martin, and the thousands of other Spartan Soldiers going once more into the breach. Rock of the Marne. Send Me.

6 comments:

  1. Once visited 2/3 ID very briefly at FOB Kalsu and Arab Jabour, and I've interviewed a bunch of guys who fought in Arab Jabour with 1-30 IN since. That was a very tough deployment and impressive work by 2/3, especially 1-30.

    As for "most time in theater," 2/3 or another brigade from 3rd ID probably holds that honor among the HBCTs, but I'm pretty sure that overall it goes to 3/101 Airborne, with 2/10 Mountain in second place (maybe third place). 2/10 has completed four deployments of various lengths since 9/11, for about 38 months total. 3/101 has also completed four, totalling about 42 months, and will deploy for the fifth time later this year.

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  2. You know, you may be right about 3/101. Does that include OEF though? I guess the proper statement would be that I think that 2/3ID has the most time in Iraq - or close to it (tied with the other 3ID brigades, save 4/3ID, of course).

    The other thing about 2/3ID is that they spent a long time in Kuwait before the invasion. Some had actually redeployed home after their Intrinsic Action rotation and were brought back around Christmas 2002. But it wasn't a shooting war then and I was in the DIV CAV.

    And you're absolutely right about 1-30 IN. The Battle Boars had a hell of a rotation - talk about full spectrum operations. And I'm sorry you were subjected, even for a short time, to FOB Kalsu. Not the most hospitable place and I had the good fortune of spending 13 months there.

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  3. Yes, the numbers for 2/10 and 3/101 include OEF. And I see what you mean about 2/3 having more time than 1/3 and 3/3 if Kuwait is included - didn't think of that.

    FOB Kalsu was delightful compared to the the little positions 1-30 was living in. Those places put the "combat" in combat outpost. First COPs I ever visited in Iraq and I haven't seen anything like them since, except in Afghanistan.

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  4. I'm going completely off a faulty memory here.

    2/3 got sent to Fallujah toward the end for their OIF I deployment. Not sure if they went home before or after 1/3, but I'm thinking after. I think that 1/3 deployed in 2005 a month or more before 2/3 and then redeployed a month or more after 2/3. I think 1/3 also deployed back to Iraq before 2/3 in 2006/07 for a 15-monther. Not sure which one came home first.

    Not that I think it matters - just throwing it out there.

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  5. Schmedlap- you are correct that the Raiders are on the same level of OPTEMPO.

    My fault - I should have said the Spartans are among the most deployed brigades in the Army. As is the preponderance of 3ID (including their HQ).the point being that they've done more than their share and they're going back again this week. And it's my old unit so they get some special Ink Spots' love.

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  6. I'm pretty sure that besides Kuwait time, all three HBCTs of 3rd ID have done almost the same amount of time in Iraq, within maybe six weeks' margin of error (not that it matters), and at one time or another all three have been in Iraq's worst places - 3/3 had a battalion in Ramadi in 2005, and 1/3 and 3/3 were in Arab Jabour and Ramadi when things were really awful there. More than the IBCTs, the heavy Army has over the past few years become a "pure Iraq" force, and 3rd ID more so even than any of the other heavy divisions, I'd say. I wonder how all that will be reflected on battle streamers one day.

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