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U.S. aircraft carriers to get ready to go to GulfReport: Ground forces authorized for Gulf deployment
From Barbara Starr
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Navy has been told to prepare two aircraft carriers for deployment to the Persian Gulf after New Year's Day, naval officials told CNN. A "prepare to deploy" order has been issued for a carrier to move from both the East Coast and the West Coast. Under that type of order, a carrier, as well as its air wing and other battle group ships, would be required to be ready by a certain date; that date has not been publicly disclosed. The ships and planes must be ready to actually begin sailing within 96 hours of that date. In addition, The Washington Post in a Saturday article quotes senior defense officials who said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld authorized on Tuesday deployment of "significant" ground forces to the Persian Gulf region, including mechanized infantry units, medical facilities and midair refuelers to be shipped and flown to Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and other Gulf nations "in coming weeks." Naval officials say there is every expectation that no ships will begin to move until after January 1. That conforms with information provided by other Pentagon and military sources who have indicated a buildup of forces would not begin until January. The Associated Press reported that the military personnel are being ordered to stand ready for deployment to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain, among other locations, reinforcing the 50,000 U.S. military personnel already in the Gulf region. ShipshapeAs it stands, however, on the East Coast, the USS George Washington -- which just returned home before Christmas -- is most likely to turn around and be sent back to the Persian Gulf unless another carrier can be made ready quickly. (Full story) In an interview last week when the ship returned, Rear Adm. Joseph Sestak said the George Washington was "in what we call a '96-hour surge readiness' status, which is normal. Any aircraft carrier battle group coming back from overseas is in that status, ready to redeploy in 96 hours." "We're ready even today to get under way, just clip these lines. All the supplies on board," he said. The Navy has yet to decide which carrier from the West Coast might deploy. The USS Kitty Hawk is at its port in Yokosuka, Japan. The USS Abraham Lincoln is at a port visit in Perth, Australia, on its way home. The USS Harry Truman is in the Mediterranean and the Constellation is in the Persian Gulf. The Navy also said that several Marine Corps amphibious ships have received similar "prepare to deploy" orders. In addition, the USNS Comfort, a hospital ship, has received an activation order at its port in Baltimore, Maryland, and could begin sailing for the Persian Gulf in the next few days with its crew of civil mariners and military members. The medical team would be flown out to the ship at a later date. Navy officials strongly emphasize that all of these orders had been expected as part of the Bush administration's policy of a buildup of military forces in the Persian Gulf, in order to be ready if the president orders war against Iraq. Also, the following U.S. Air Force units have received similar orders for deployment, although all of these are elements of the wings, not the whole wing at this point: • 4th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina, (F-15E) • 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, (B-1) • 347th Rescue Wing, Moody AFB, Georgia, (combat search and rescue) • 1st Fighter Wing, Langley, Virginia, F-15C
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