Fort Lewis, Wash. - Dust clings to everything, and the air smells of smoke. It's as if the Pacific Northwest, after one of the driest and most brushfire-prone summers on record, is trying to add a little extra realism to the last big war game before this Army unit deploys to Iraq.
For three years, the 3rd Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division has reorganized, retrained, and re-equipped - essentially remaking itself from a conventional, tank-heavy mechanized formation into the first unit of a new and controversial "Stryker force." This month, the 3rd Brigade ships out for Iraq. After years of bitter debate, the Stryker brigade's deployment will be the first real-world test of concepts on which the U.S. Army is betting its future.
(Thanks to Dan for the link)
Army's lightweight Stryker brigade to get tested in Iraq
Here's a lengthy pre-deployment article that provides a good overview of the SBCT's training.
[Link to Full Article]
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr., National Journal
Fort Lewis, Wash. - Dust clings to everything, and the air smells of smoke. It's as if the Pacific Northwest, after one of the driest and most brushfire-prone summers on record, is trying to add a little extra realism to the last big war game before this Army unit deploys to Iraq.
