posted on January 20, 2001 10:06:15 PM new
Just saw a news "leader" story from the local station about one of the local Nat. Guard units going to Iraq to enforce the "No Fly Zone"...thing is, the unit is INFANTRY...what EXACTLY are they gonna do to stop planes from flying????
We have 2 F-16 equipped Air Nat. Guard units posted within less tha 100 miles of each other (one here, and one 85 miles away) but they send the INFANTRY?
Can someone with some military experience PLEASE try to explain this to me?
Keith
I assume full responsibility for my actions, except
the ones that are someone else's fault.
posted on January 20, 2001 10:42:48 PM new
No Keith, I don't know anything about this military stuff, but I do know that I liked your pic on the other thread [grin] Already took my sleeping pill so I had better get my butt to bed. nite!
posted on January 20, 2001 11:25:35 PM new
I'm going to go out on a wing with this one. I have not seen the story ubiedaman is referring to, but it is possible the Infantry may be going as support personnel. Or maybe as part of a training exorcise.
posted on January 21, 2001 04:53:13 AM new
I used to work with a fellow who had all sorts of exotic African items to sell. He
explained that he was stationed in the Congo and all he did was stand guard duty with a loaded automatic weapon for a long shift each day guarding the planes and helicopters. He said the perimeter was too close and they kept two armed men at each plane, a lot of which were armed and ready to fly. Since a lot of it was at night he would go into the markets off duty and ship stuff home knowing he was going to make out like a bandit later.
He was not one to spend a big chunk of his bucks drinking and blowing off steam like a lot of his buddies. I am sure they need a lot of people like that for the no-fly-zone.
The interesting thing is I said I did not know of any war in the Congo. He said yeah that is one of our little wars nobody is supposed to know about. He was air force himself and a techie but rarely got to do techie work due to the need to stand guard.
The CDC can probably track that one by the diseases brought home.
posted on January 21, 2001 08:50:53 AM new
Most infantry units are equipped to conduct anti-aircraft operations. Hand held missile launchers (Red-eye, Stinger) are very effective at bringing down aircraft. Towed weapons, such as the Vulcan gun, are also used to shoot down planes.
The problem with those weapons is that they are usually only effective when a soldier can see a target and they would most likely have to be used inside Iraq.
I suspect that the unit is being deployed outside Iraq in some sort of support role.
posted on January 21, 2001 06:14:46 PM new
Thanks xardon et al. I knew someone in here could make SOME sense of this...being "non-military" I was cornfused (happens a lot in Iowa).
Keith
I assume full responsibility for my actions, except
the ones that are someone else's fault.
