300 Texas Guardsmen head for Iraq

[Judi Lynn]

July 17, 2006, 1:10AM
300 Texas Guardsmen head for Iraq
Ellington-based copter crews on year's deployment

By JOHN W. GONZALEZ
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

KILLEEN - About 300 Texas Army National Guardsmen based at Ellington Field in Houston bid farewell to their families Sunday as they embarked on a yearlong deployment to Iraq.

The combat helicopter crews, joined by 100 troops from other states, have already been on active-duty status for six months for specialized air combat training at nearby Fort Hood and elsewhere.
(snip)

"The reason we're here is, we're trained killers. We've got the most formidable, menacing piece of equipment on that battlefield, the AH-64A Apache," said Lt. Col. Richard Adams of Houston.

"There's a lot more bad guys out there. We're going to find them. We're going to kill them. That's what we do," he said, and he added: "be proud."
(snip/...)

http://chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4050839.html

[Kutjara]

1. Unfortunately for this gung-ho colonel,

the most sophisticated helicopter in the world is no match for a primitive RPG in the kind of tight, urban environments where they'll be operating. The Apache's strength is its ability to hit multiple targets over long range, without exposing itself to danger. That's not going to be the kind of warfare they'll be facing in Iraq.

No matter how well armored the fusillage of the helicopter is, it is still very vulnerable because of its exposed main and tail rotors. I fear that quite a few of these 'formidable, menacing' pieces of equipment will be lying in wrecked heaps on the streets of Iraq before very long.

[thepurpose]

3. The trained killers part is unfortunate too. Might want to tone that down

when he speaks to the public.

[cboy4]

2. I didn't know there were 300 guard left in the entire country let

alone Texas!

[PhilYerHead]

4. 'be proud"? of what? your killing capacity?

"bless his heart". Meanwhile our hearts are breaking, for him and all the rest being deployed with him, along with all of the innocent people that are going to get in the way.

Once again, dear sir Lt. Col. Adams of Houston, "be proud" of what, exactly? Be proud of your role in an illegal war? Not in my lifetime.

[saigon68]

5. This Guy is a Fucking Ass-Hat enabling Halliburton