"We are losing a battalion a month over there .." (Iraq)

[DemoTex]

".. killed, wounded, and injured." General Barry McCaffrey just made this statement on Hardball.

[NMDemDist2]

1. OMFG! horrible to think of it that way, but such that it is n/t

[rockydem]

2. How big is a battalion?

[DemoTex]

4. Generally speaking, 1000 souls.

Depends on the army and times though. A battalion at Waterloo had 650 men.

[Delphinus]

9. Wow!

1,000 souls - a month! How is this not being talked about in the mainstream media?

[rockydem]

.

I guess he's counting those that are wounded and are unable to continue?

edit: reread original post he is talking about that...

[captain_change]

8. about 1,000 men

Depending on the type Mech Infantry, Light Infantry, Armor, Artillery, Signal, Medical etc. The typical configuration is 3 "line Companies" 1 support company and Headquarters Company.

When I was in the 82nd airborne, each battalion had A, B, C, rifle companies of about 150 Men (3 rifle platoons, mortar platoon & HQ). Combat Support Company (CSC) with 1 platoon of Heavy 4.2" mortars, platoon of scouts and 2-3 TOW missile platoons. Headquarter company had the Medic Plt, Commo Plt, S4 (supply) section, and other bits and pieces

In the Armor Bn it was A, B, C & D Tank companies of 14 tanks each in 3 platoon of 4 plus CO & XO. Headquarters company had all the bits and pieces plus the scout platoon and Heavy mortar Platoon

[ET Awful]

10. That sounds pretty consistent with my experience in mech. Infantry.

n/t

[kranich]

15. A battalion

is basically 4 companies of about 150 troops in each company. Approximately 600 or so give or take.

Of course it does vary.

[karlrschneider]

3. ARGH...well if HE said it, I believe it. Not because I think he's honest

but because he's a rightwing hawk. How you doin' Mac?

[DemoTex]

6. Hanging in there Karl.

Man, your state elected one crazy MoFo to the US Senate!

[karlrschneider]

12. Yeah...I flew him all over the country for years since he was a teenager,

he was a nutty arrogant prick in the 70s and hasn't gotten any better.
A chip off the old block, as it were, his old man (my boss who owned the planes) was a real asshole...he wanted me to find women for him on trips-I wouldn't do it (because I liked his wife and wasn't hired to be a pimp)
:grr:

[DemoTex]

17. A big supporter of Bu$h-1 (back in the early 80s) tried to give me ...

... and my co-pilot money for "some girls." He was the CEO of a major mining conglomerate. We were dispatched to pick him up (he was a friend of our president, Ken Lay) when his Westwind II broke down. His company was accused of human rights violations in Indonesia. They operated a Boeing 757-200 for years (between their southern US home-base and Indonesia). Pro Pilot did a cover story on them (Grant McCleran) shortly after I left as editor-in-chief. You probably know by now who I mean.

"Thanks boys! You really got my ass out of a fix. Here is a thousand each for some girls tonight." I swear to God. We declined. Another run-in with GOP family values.

[PretzelWarrior]

5. what is difference between wounded and injured

and how many of the troops are just deserting?

[DemoTex]

7. Wounded gets you a Purple Heart.

Injured (ie, Humvee wreck) does not. However, beware of Swift Boat Liars and GOP delegates if you get that Purple Heart.

[Ducks In A Row]

11. Did Tweety come at the news?

He's such a whore, this is news that would delight him.

[DrWeird]

13. So how long can that go on without a draft?

Tell me that's not the 25 million dollar question.

[kranich]

14. I knew

General Barry McCaffrey personally. I served on his staff for two years when he was the CG of the 24th Infantry and I tell you the man is insane. Right before the invasion of Iraq he told a group that battle was better than sex. We constantly worried about his sanity. After the first Iraq war he was under Congressional investigation for his remaining term as CG for applying excessive use of force against possibly unarmed Iraqis. Eventually he retired and became drug csar.

OK I say this so that people will not go around repeating what he said and look bad in front of anyone who challenges them on his hyperbole. A battalion is approximately 500-600 soldiers. We have been in Iraq for 16 months. We have not lost 8000-9600 troops over there and I doubt unless I am totally wrong that the casualty rate is that high.

I am not a freeper or troll. I voted Kerry-Edwards but his is too much. When we address the travesty of Iraq it is important to not be silly about it because we end up defending something completely irrelevant- such as whether a "battalion a month" or some other number is correct.

[jmowreader]

16. Read the original quote a bit closer

A battalion a month, killed, wounded or injured.

When you count the WIAs in with the KIA population, you're looking at about a thousand guys a month. That's right in line with McCaffrey's comment.

The guy's crazier than a shithouse rat but in this case he's right.

[kranich]

18. I know what

you are saying. When I said "casualties" I meant KIA and WIA. I am not sure of the actual numbers but it seemed high to me. He is probably right if you throw in all the injured too.

I would not go around quoting that guy to make my point. Even the New Yorker, Time, Salon and other friends of the left hate this guy. He is a total raging lunatic. We can make a case against Iraq without him. In fact, Tweety probably had him on just to make the case against Iraq look silly.

I was at Rumalia, and on that highway near Basra, it was a total f-ing turkey shoot. my advice, do not open a can of worms by mentioning him and certainly do not look to him as a credible anti-Bush ally.