US brigade of 4,000 soldiers headed to Kuwait

[Lite Beer]

US brigade of 4,000 soldiers headed to Kuwait

FORT CARSON, Colorado (AP) — More than 4,000 U.S. soldiers based at Fort Carson, Colorado, are heading to Kuwait, where they will take over as one of America's largest ground forces in the region after President Barack Obama asked Congress to authorize military action against Islamic State militants.

Obama ruled out large-scale U.S. ground combat operations similar to those in Iraq and Afghanistan, but he asked for the option to use military force against Islamic State fighters for three years. The fight could be extended to any "closely related successor entity" to the Islamic State group that has overrun parts of Iraq and Syria, imposed an extreme form of Sharia law and killed hostages it has taken, including several Americans.

The U.S. Army has kept a brigade in Kuwait since the end of the Iraq war in 2011. Those soldiers, including two units from Fort Carson, have worked to train local troops from throughout the Middle East. In its most recent deployment to Kuwait, a combat team from Fort Carson conducted training missions with allies including Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, which have joined the coalition against Islamic State fighters.

The unit headed to Kuwait is Fort Carson's heaviest force, armed with tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles. Many of its soldiers are veterans of one or more of the brigade's previous combat tours in Iraq.

"We're no strangers to deployment," said the brigade's commander, Col. Greg Sierra.

The brigade has trained more than a year for the Kuwait mission. The soldiers practiced combat skills last used in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Colorado Springs Gazette reported.

The brigade's training regimen readied soldiers for a range of missions from humanitarian relief to nonstop combat, Sierra said.

Sierra told soldiers and their families that if his brigade tangles with Islamic State fighters, the outcome won't be in doubt. "In the end, if we do get into fights, we win decisively," he said.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-02-15

[Pikeybkk]

kick their asses lads

[NowImEasy]

OK. Patiently waiting here for the anti-US comments.

While I wait, I'll pray for these good, brave young men and women.

[RigPig]

Damn I am about to head out to Kuwait for work. I guess things will either get safer or they will have to raise my pay (or both with any luck!!).

Good on ´em, it is a shame the U.S. has had to become the worlds policeman, but I am glad they have. Despite the down side of profiteering from these conflicts we would be truly screwed without them !!

Gods speed and stay safe boys.

[does]

No anti-US comment but if I may be permitted an anti-US/Western policy comment...

We get involved with Iran (1953) en get the Ayatollahs

We get involved with Afghanistan and get the Taliban

We get involved with Iraq and we get ISIS

We get involved with Libya and get Al Qaeda and ISIS

We get involved with Yemen and get the Houthis

As the saying goes: If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. We simply continue digging.

I also pray for those brave young men and women, as I do for the defenseless children in Yemen, Libya, Iraq, etc. I hope you do too?

OK. Patiently waiting here for the anti-US comments.

While I wait, I'll pray for these good, brave young men and women.

[Suradit69]

OK. Patiently waiting here for the anti-US comments.

While I wait, I'll pray for these good, brave young men and women.

"While I wait, I'll pray for these good, brave young men and women."

Well aren't you special. I love how some people get all patriotic and teary-eyed about the brave young yada yada ...and think it's all so wonderful, while at the same time ignoring all the jobless, homeless veterans on the streets in the US. or just totally acting like they don't exist ... like all the other flag-waving & praying Americans in the photo.

Hope you're waiting patiently and praying for this ignored, once brave, not so young anymore veteran and the thousands like him. Do you suppose he's featured in Veterans' Day Parades?

And military grocery stores in the US take in more than $100 million a year in food stamps from these brave young ,,, whose families live in poverty.

Food stamp redemption at military grocers has been rising steadily since the beginning of the recession in 2008. Nearly $104 million worth of food stamps was redeemed at military commissariesin the fiscal year ended Sept. 30.

http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/17/news/economy/military-food-stamps/

And then there's medical care

CNN reported on April 30, 2014 that at least 40 United States Armed Forces veterans died while waiting for care at thePhoenix, Arizona, Veterans Health Administration facilities. By June 5, 2014, Veterans Affairs internal investigations had identified 35 veterans who had died while waiting for care in the Phoenix VHA system.^[4] An investigation of delays in treatment throughout the Veterans Health Administration system is being conducted by the Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General,^[5][6][7] and the House has passed legislation to fund a $1 million criminal investigation by the Justice Department.^[8] On May 16, 2014, the Veterans Health Administration's top health official, Dr. Robert Petzel, retired early at the request of Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki.^[9][10] On May 30, 2014, Secretary Shinseki resigned from office amid the fallout from the controversy.

Edited February 15, 2015 by Suradit69

[davidmann]

USA has done good job making the middle east a better place in the last 10 years ,of we go again for the next 10 years

[ratcatcher]

why us government killing inocent people, just to make money from oil ????? to me its a cruel action, please let people live a healthy life, as per instien "every action have equal and opposite reaction" please give good life to americans and other nation people too. you kill iraq or kuwait people then their children will kill children of americans, everyone will be sad, stop it now . . .

You do understand what the Islamic State terrorists are after I hope? These are people that behead and burn captives alive. They have no mercy. They are evil. US Government killing innocent people? I'm not American but perhaps an American on this forum can spell things out for you.

[hanno]

OK. Patiently waiting here for the anti-US comments.

While I wait, I'll pray for these good, brave young men and women.

Not from me but I just do not see how past interventions in the Middle East have made the world a better place? Afghanistan? Complete failure! Iraq? Complete failure!

I think it was time that the US sent young men and women into that particular meat grinder and, as someone else posted, started looking after its vets better.

[tonray]

ISIS is holding a rally today: The subject ? "Mission Accomplished"

[Seastallion]

" The fight could be extended to any "closely related successor entity" to the Islamic State"

Good thinking.

But keep it to genuinely "closely related" or we'll have another thing like the Patriot Act where things just went way overboard "in the name of security", or, for that matter, the Iraq invasion over aluminium tubes.

[mania]

why us government killing inocent people, just to make money from oil ????? to me its a cruel action, please let people live a healthy life, as per instien "every action have equal and opposite reaction" please give good life to americans and other nation people too. you kill iraq or kuwait people then their children will kill children of americans, everyone will be sad, stop it now . . .

You do understand what the Islamic State terrorists are after I hope? These are people that behead and burn captives alive. They have no mercy. They are evil. US Government killing innocent people? I'm not American but perhaps an American on this forum can spell things out for you.

I am an American & while English might not be his 1st language I think he pegged it right

All we see instability/anger/revenge wise in the ME is effect/blowback from our governments own doing.

Yes they have the excuses as to why they must go topple this government or that & how the leader of that government is bad

(unlike our own?) yet all this meddling has resulted in more & more hatred & this hatred that you see as no mercy may be seen differently if it was

you & yours being collaterally hit by hellfire missiles or seeing troops march down your streets kicking open doors because well they are after terrorist

& have to be in your town

Never mind that the terrorist have no navy...no air force...etc etc we need to go get them eh?

As for the OP I only hope the politicians who vote to squander our children's/soldiers lives are just as quick to

send their own kids off to this BS in fact I wish it was mandatory

Edited February 15, 2015 by mania

[transam]

why us government killing inocent people, just to make money from oil ????? to me its a cruel action, please let people live a healthy life, as per instien "every action have equal and opposite reaction" please give good life to americans and other nation people too. you kill iraq or kuwait people then their children will kill children of americans, everyone will be sad, stop it now . . .

You do understand what the Islamic State terrorists are after I hope? These are people that behead and burn captives alive. They have no mercy. They are evil. US Government killing innocent people? I'm not American but perhaps an American on this forum can spell things out for you.

I am an American & while English might not be his 1st language I think he pegged it right

All we see instability/anger/revenge wise in the ME is effect/blowback from our governments own doing.

Yes they have the excuses as to why they must go topple this government or that & how the leader of that government is bad

(unlike our own?) yet all this meddling has resulted in more & more hatred & this hatred that you see as no mercy may be seen differently if it was

you & yours being collaterally hit by hellfire missiles or seeing troops march down your streets kicking open doors because well they are after terrorist

& have to be in your town

Never mind that the terrorist have no navy...no air force...etc etc we need to go get them eh?

As for the OP I only hope the politicians who vote to squander our children's/soldiers lives are just as quick to

send their own kids off to this BS in fact I wish it was mandatory

Why do folk join the military............?

[chuckd]

Perhaps instead of the US, some European nations and Australia could go in and do something about this.

Any volunteers?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Isis video shows 17 captured Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in cages being paraded through town

LIZZIE DEARDEN Saturday 14 February 2015

Isis has paraded captured Kurdish soldiers in cages through screaming crowds in what some fear is a prequel to them being burned alive.

A video of the procession has appeared on Isis-affiliated social media accounts, showing the prisoners in orange jumpsuits and flanked by black-clad militants brandishing Kalashnikovs and the group’s black flag.

People lining the streets could be heard jeering and shouting “Allahu Akbar” as they passed one by one on the back of flat bed vans.

The captured soldiers were each forced to stand alone in a cage similar to that used in the murder of Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasaesbeh as the convoy crawled through the town.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-video-shows-17-captured-kurdish-peshmerga-fighters-in-cages-being-paraded-through-town-10046334.html

[rijb]

why us government killing inocent people, just to make money from oil ????? to me its a cruel action, please let people live a healthy life, as per instien "every action have equal and opposite reaction" please give good life to americans and other nation people too. you kill iraq or kuwait people then their children will kill children of americans, everyone will be sad, stop it now . . .

You do understand what the Islamic State terrorists are after I hope? These are people that behead and burn captives alive. They have no mercy. They are evil. US Government killing innocent people? I'm not American but perhaps an American on this forum can spell things out for you.

I am an American & while English might not be his 1st language I think he pegged it right

All we see instability/anger/revenge wise in the ME is effect/blowback from our governments own doing.

Yes they have the excuses as to why they must go topple this government or that & how the leader of that government is bad

(unlike our own?) yet all this meddling has resulted in more & more hatred & this hatred that you see as no mercy may be seen differently if it was

you & yours being collaterally hit by hellfire missiles or seeing troops march down your streets kicking open doors because well they are after terrorist

& have to be in your town

Never mind that the terrorist have no navy...no air force...etc etc we need to go get them eh?

As for the OP I only hope the politicians who vote to squander our children's/soldiers lives are just as quick to

send their own kids off to this BS in fact I wish it was mandatory

Thank god you only get one vote.

Were you and/or yours ever in the military?

[transam]

why us government killing inocent people, just to make money from oil ????? to me its a cruel action, please let people live a healthy life, as per instien "every action have equal and opposite reaction" please give good life to americans and other nation people too. you kill iraq or kuwait people then their children will kill children of americans, everyone will be sad, stop it now . . .

You do understand what the Islamic State terrorists are after I hope? These are people that behead and burn captives alive. They have no mercy. They are evil. US Government killing innocent people? I'm not American but perhaps an American on this forum can spell things out for you.

I am an American & while English might not be his 1st language I think he pegged it right

All we see instability/anger/revenge wise in the ME is effect/blowback from our governments own doing.

Yes they have the excuses as to why they must go topple this government or that & how the leader of that government is bad

(unlike our own?) yet all this meddling has resulted in more & more hatred & this hatred that you see as no mercy may be seen differently if it was

you & yours being collaterally hit by hellfire missiles or seeing troops march down your streets kicking open doors because well they are after terrorist

& have to be in your town

Never mind that the terrorist have no navy...no air force...etc etc we need to go get them eh?

As for the OP I only hope the politicians who vote to squander our children's/soldiers lives are just as quick to

send their own kids off to this BS in fact I wish it was mandatory

Why do folk join the military............?

I ask you again...................?

[BlessingCoffee]

Many years in the Military, can anyone let me know who made this evil e.g. IS…… who provided them with all sort of weapons and training (We all know WHO and the reason behind)

why us government killing inocent people, just to make money from oil ????? to me its a cruel action, please let people live a healthy life, as per instien "every action have equal and opposite reaction" please give good life to americans and other nation people too. you kill iraq or kuwait people then their children will kill children of americans, everyone will be sad, stop it now . . .

You do understand what the Islamic State terrorists are after I hope? These are people that behead and burn captives alive. They have no mercy. They are evil. US Government killing innocent people? I'm not American but perhaps an American on this forum can spell things out for you.

I am an American & while English might not be his 1st language I think he pegged it right

All we see instability/anger/revenge wise in the ME is effect/blowback from our governments own doing.

Yes they have the excuses as to why they must go topple this government or that & how the leader of that government is bad

(unlike our own?) yet all this meddling has resulted in more & more hatred & this hatred that you see as no mercy may be seen differently if it was

you & yours being collaterally hit by hellfire missiles or seeing troops march down your streets kicking open doors because well they are after terrorist

& have to be in your town

Never mind that the terrorist have no navy...no air force...etc etc we need to go get them eh?

As for the OP I only hope the politicians who vote to squander our children's/soldiers lives are just as quick to

send their own kids off to this BS in fact I wish it was mandatory

Thank god you only get one vote.

Were you and/or yours ever in the military?

[jacky54]

God bless the United States, the world would have been totally lost long ago without them. The only way to deal with Jihad is to kill jihadists, that's what they want and hopefully what they will get in large measure.

[transam]

Eventually the free world got together to take care of Nazi stuff and the Jap thing..........It cost dear in young lives but they did it. This new plague will be taken care of, will take time but it will, and I hope these religious killers of even their own will come out the other side and live THEIR lives and not a life controlled by control freaks.... .

[Traveller45]

What would be the alternative? This is moderate as a reaction to IS. 4000 soldiers are, perhaps, enough to reinforce the somewhat wobbly backbones of western-friendly regimes on the ground. They are not enough to wage an all-out war. And yes, the US could take even better care of their veterans. But the hundreds of thousands who made it back safely over the decades, to lead normal, contented lives, never make it to the press. US are a free country, and with all due honour and praise to those who return from battle, unless incapacitated, you will have to look after yourself

[gigman]

Anyone's anger dos not come out without the reason.

"no fire no smoke"

"if I feel not welcome then I leave"

etc. etc

but if this is business then we have what we have

Just nothing to discuss.

This matter is so simple but we are living in times of convenient "truth " or lie for some.

Rest of us are not important and will pay for this generation after generation hatred will grow between those who even never met and will never know about their good or bad intentions.

It is sad time and world.

Humanity is priceless and in the same time worthless. But money is more important then any nations or cultures .

Media will do the rest.

Edited February 15, 2015 by gigman

[CMNightRider]

why us government killing inocent people, just to make money from oil ????? to me its a cruel action, please let people live a healthy life, as per instien "every action have equal and opposite reaction" please give good life to americans and other nation people too. you kill iraq or kuwait people then their children will kill children of americans, everyone will be sad, stop it now . . .

Whatever you are smoking or ingesting, please stop it now.......the US soldiers are not going to Kuwait to kill innocent people or to make money from oil. There is no need to be sad.

[gigman]

Some on this forum can not say anything better then ..."kill , kill.

It happened by the centuries in the name of gods and money.

Nothing change even we are living in 20 century.

Isn't just easier to just leave .....???

I still remember same angry voices when Vietnam war started....what can you say now????

We all live in barbaric times where money is our god ...

This days everyone keep his mobile phone is personal PC his personal TV in one hand and axe in other hand....

Human brain is getting smaller and smaller.

[Somtamnication]

And so it begins. Another round of new veterans in about 2 or 3 years. America really needs a war. It is good business!

[transam]

Some on this forum can not say anything better then ..."kill , kill.

It happened by the centuries in the name of gods and money.

Nothing change even we are living in 20 century.

Isn't just easier to just leave .....???

I still remember same angry voices when Vietnam war started....what can you say now????

We all live in barbaric times where money is our god ...

This days everyone keep his mobile phone is personal PC his personal TV in one hand and axe in other hand....

Human brain is getting smaller and smaller.

Not mine.............

[transam]

And so it begins. Another round of new veterans in about 2 or 3 years. America really needs a war. It is good business!

I was born because the USA came to my countries aid................Many USA guys did not return home so I could be born............Everything has a price but freedom costs dear........

[rgs2001uk]

Perhaps instead of the US, some European nations and Australia could go in and do something about this.

Any volunteers?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Isis video shows 17 captured Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in cages being paraded through town

LIZZIE DEARDEN Saturday 14 February 2015

Isis has paraded captured Kurdish soldiers in cages through screaming crowds in what some fear is a prequel to them being burned alive.

A video of the procession has appeared on Isis-affiliated social media accounts, showing the prisoners in orange jumpsuits and flanked by black-clad militants brandishing Kalashnikovs and the group’s black flag.

People lining the streets could be heard jeering and shouting “Allahu Akbar” as they passed one by one on the back of flat bed vans.

The captured soldiers were each forced to stand alone in a cage similar to that used in the murder of Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasaesbeh as the convoy crawled through the town.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-video-shows-17-captured-kurdish-peshmerga-fighters-in-cages-being-paraded-through-town-10046334.html

Any volunteers?

I actually agree with what you say, but for differing reasons.

As for volunteers, I agree, where are the Saudis, Kuwaitis and Bahrainis in the queue.

As usual they will sit on the sidelines and stoke the flames, their backyard let them sort it out.

Its not as if they dont have the military hardware or lack the training.

All show and no go, very good at holding public parades on national days, thats about it.

[car720]

OK. Patiently waiting here for the anti-US comments.

While I wait, I'll pray for these good, brave young men and women.

It's about time somebody took a gun to a knife fight with these dogs.

[car720]

Perhaps instead of the US, some European nations and Australia could go in and do something about this.

Any volunteers?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Isis video shows 17 captured Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in cages being paraded through town

LIZZIE DEARDEN Saturday 14 February 2015

Isis has paraded captured Kurdish soldiers in cages through screaming crowds in what some fear is a prequel to them being burned alive.

A video of the procession has appeared on Isis-affiliated social media accounts, showing the prisoners in orange jumpsuits and flanked by black-clad militants brandishing Kalashnikovs and the group’s black flag.

People lining the streets could be heard jeering and shouting “Allahu Akbar” as they passed one by one on the back of flat bed vans.

The captured soldiers were each forced to stand alone in a cage similar to that used in the murder of Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasaesbeh as the convoy crawled through the town.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-video-shows-17-captured-kurdish-peshmerga-fighters-in-cages-being-paraded-through-town-10046334.html

In a nutshell.

ANZUS.

I wouldn't worry too much about the Aussies mate. We have always led you into battle.

And we never fall to friendly fire.

[Asiantravel]

Perhaps instead of the US, some European nations and Australia could go in and do something about this.

Any volunteers?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Isis video shows 17 captured Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in cages being paraded through town

LIZZIE DEARDEN Saturday 14 February 2015

Isis has paraded captured Kurdish soldiers in cages through screaming crowds in what some fear is a prequel to them being burned alive.

A video of the procession has appeared on Isis-affiliated social media accounts, showing the prisoners in orange jumpsuits and flanked by black-clad militants brandishing Kalashnikovs and the group’s black flag.

People lining the streets could be heard jeering and shouting “Allahu Akbar” as they passed one by one on the back of flat bed vans.

The captured soldiers were each forced to stand alone in a cage similar to that used in the murder of Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasaesbeh as the convoy crawled through the town.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-video-shows-17-captured-kurdish-peshmerga-fighters-in-cages-being-paraded-through-town-10046334.html

" Perhaps instead of the US, some European nations and Australia could go in and do something about this.

Any volunteers? "

Or what about USA once and for all demanding help from those Arab countries that straddle the fence and claim on the one hand to be allies of USA and yet at the same time finance and surreptitiously support movements like Isis?

Edited February 15, 2015 by Asiantravel