Combat Readiness the Need for Change, Essay Example

The US military has been criticized for lack of preparation in order to execute its mission prior to outbreak of hostilities.  Operation Iraqi freedom was one such example, where it was stated the US military were not fully prepared to execute the prime mission.  Adequate training is considered paramount in order to prepare US forces for peace types of missions; “combat readiness is extremely important to  today’s combat operations, according to staff Carl R Whitlaw  our wit nor company gunnery sergeant”. (Hostutler, 2010)

The US Marines have been effectively involve retraining programs and the Japanese ground self-defense force.  Prior to involvement with operation Iraqi freedom. ” Going through dry runs and rehearsals of (improvised explosive device) drills, V-sweeps, keeping up with our (combat marksmanship) shoots, firing (shoulder-launched multipurpose assault weapons) and AT4s, making sure we can put rounds down range and be on target is important,” said Whitlow. “The more we train here, the more successful we (Marines) will be in combat.” (Hostutler, 2010).

The 535 Engineered Support Co. took advantage of training Europe before they were deployed to Iraq; this included training exercises on a two level, boys, battle drills, weapons training and engineering exercises.  They’re also trained in the use and handling of improvised explosive devices.  [IED’s]. ” Because of the 535th ESC, fellow Soldiers throughout the Multinational Division Center–Iraq operated from protected bases and traveled more easily through the operational environment. The lives of Iraqi people in the area were improved by coalition and Iraqi force security gains that could only be accomplished after the engineers of the 535th ESC established the force protection footprint”  (Zwoboda, 2009).

One of the areas where the Defence Ministry has been criticized is that of rotation of troops to combat areas like Iraq.  This is often where troops have done a tour of duty and are returning home to be replaced by a fresh company of men.  All too often the outgoing troops have not according to “a senior Army official,… received adequate training and preparation for immediate immersion tom a combat zone. ” Four Army divisions [the 82nd Airborne, the 101st Airborne, the 1st Armored and the 4th Infantry — are to return from Iraq next spring, to be replaced by three others, with a fourth rotating into Afghanistan] — 40 percent of the active-duty force — will not be fully combat-ready for up to six months next year, leaving the nation with relatively few ready troops in the event of a major conflict in North Korea or elsewhere ”  (Loeb, 2009).

The New York Times also criticised the Bush Administration for lack of planning and preparedness to deal with the combat readiness of troop rotation to Iraq.. ” When the 130,000 Americans rotate out for home leave, nearly the same number will rotate in. At that point, should the country need to send additional fighters anywhere else in the world, it will have dangerously few of them to spare. … This is the clearest warning yet that the Bush administration is pushing America’s peacetime armed forces toward their limits.”  (New York Times, 2003).

It was hoped that the training program for the new Iraqi army would provide some relief and allow more time for training inbound US army replacements.  Unfortunately this training has been very slow in progression and  provided adequate breathing space to support the rotation system ” Eventually, the Iraqi recruits now being hurriedly trained may provide some relief. Yet there are doubts about their military competence and political reliability, and fears that if Washington is in too much of a hurry, it will succeed only in recreating Saddam Hussein’s old security forces in new American-issued uniforms.”  (New York Times, 2003).

The hundred and first Airborne Division were fortunate enough to send an advance party to Kuwait before the outbreak of hostilities.  This facilitated preparation for medical support and logistics in order to establish medical operations ” The 424th Medical Logistics Battalion arrived 10 days before the start of combat operations. After combat began, the 561st Medical Logistics Company was to go forward to Logistics Support Area Bushmaster in Iraq to support the 3d Infantry Division (Mechanized) and the 101st Airborne Division.”  (Rodriguez, 2004).  Despite this advance preparation it was not without its complications and problems.  One of these issues was the arrival of the combat troops before the divisions medical supplies had been received, checked and inventories. ” This created a dilemma for supplying critical and sick-call medications to the troops. The modes of transportation used to move supplies and equipment were inadequate; for instance, buses were used to distribute sick-call supplies to all of the camps.”  (Rodriguez, 2004).

The Humvee was a major part of the Iraqi Freedom operation in the deployment of troops. It turned out that the amount of army training on these vehicles was inadequate and this caused a lot of problems in the combat zone ” According to the Combat Readiness Center, there have been nearly 300 Humvee rollover accidents resulting in 110 Soldier fatalities and numerous injuries in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom”  (Cotton, 2010).  This resulted in a Humvee Egram  Assistance Training [HEAT.]  Where Humvee training was simulated in a hot climate, and combined with weapons instruction training.  For many soldiers, this was their first encounter with Humvee training.  Heat came into operation in 2005 and was aimed for soldiers to see a Humvee rollover or turnover and avoid danger.  This can happen with the road surface collapses or bridges give way away drivers exceed safe speed parameters.  One of the difficulties has been the difficulty to unlock seatbelts when the vehicle comes to a halt.  HEAT  is now compulsory training for all soldiers either going to Iraq or Afghanistan.

Another aspect of considered lack of preparation is in the non combat illnesses that the troops will get when entering into hot or tropical climates.  This needs factoring into the equation in terms of medical planning and preparedness.  It is one thing considering how to deal with battle related injuries but another in terms of how soldiers might react to a strange new environment.  Adequate vaccinations and consideration of anti-malarial drugs for tropical climates or where malaria represents a potential risk.  In operation Iraqi Freedom a great deal of complaints related to stomach bugs and attacks of diarrhea ” Since the United States currently has more than 140,000 troops deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, military health care planners and providers should have a clear understanding of all health risks encountered in the region and the impact of common infections and non-combat injuries on the military mission. The four most commonly reported diagnoses during U.S. military deployments over the last 15 years have been non-combat orthopedic injuries, respiratory infections, skin diseases, and gastrointestinal infections.9 A recent study reported detailed rates of diarrhea on U.S. military personnel deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan”  (JOHN W. SANDERS, 2005).

The US armed forces conducted a lessons learned exercise after completion of operation Iraqi freedom and they identified the following key points that were missing from an operational readiness perspective:

• line commanders did not fully understand the lines of responsibility;
• units were not supplied with adequate basic medical supplies e.g. mosquito net, detect sector;
• medical logistics and supply lines were too complex; there is a need to simplify procedures;
• Permethrin  kits were not issued to all soldiers;
• soldiers were not given a blood draw to identify G6PD C. deficiency and need for primaquine:
• information on wild dogs and the danger of rabies was not fully explained.

Since Iraqi Freedom the US armed forces have learnt a great deal in terms of the adequacy of operational readiness for these type of situations.  The armed services have continued to make process and operational improvements in order to correct deficiencies from lessons learned.  It is not an easy situation to balance large logistical operations moving tens of thousands of men into combat situations whilst at the same dealing with budget constraints and political considerations. In some senses the US military will never overcome all of these obstacles but it does take these matters extremely serious and embraces a wide range of corrective measures in order to ensure the armed forces are both adequately prepared and supported when placed into combat zones.  Training will continue to play a vital role in ensuring this preparation for both the US armed forces and its allies.

Works Cited

Cotton, C. J. (2010, 2 19). Soldiers feel the ‘HEAT’ during Combat Readiness Training. Retrieved 5 7, 2010, from The Griffen: http://www.thegriffon108.com/Articles/ArticleDetail/tabid/226/smid/860/ArticleID/446/reftab/218/Default.aspx

Hostutler, L. C. (2010, 3 5). Training enhances combat readiness . Retrieved 5 5, 2010, from The Marines: http://www.usmc.mil/unit/mcbjapan/Pages/2010/100305-forest.aspx

JOHN W. SANDERS*, S. D. (2005). Impact of Illness and Non-Combat Injury During Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) . The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene , 713-719.

Loeb, V. (2009). Operation Iraqi Freedom: U.S. military readiness. Retrieved 5 7, 2010, from Source Watch: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Operation_Iraqi_Freedom:_U.S._military_readiness

New York Times. (2003, 12 29). The Thinning of the Army. Retrieved 5 7, 2010, from http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/29/opinion/29MON1.html?th

Rodriguez, E. H. (2004, 6). Medical logistics during operation Iraqi freedom. Retrieved 5 7, 2010, from Army Logistician: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PAI/is_3_36/ai_n6129794/

Zwoboda, C. K. (2009). 535th ESC supports Operation Iraqi Freedom. Retrieved 5 7, 2010, from Free Library: http://www.thefreelibrary.com/535th+ESC+supports+Operation+Iraqi+Freedom.-a0217847669