U.S. begins largest rotation of American forces in history

[Judi Lynn]

U.S. begins largest rotation of American forces in history

JIM KRANE, Associated Press Writer
Sunday, February 22, 2004


(02-22) 22:42 PST CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait (AP) --

Nearly a quarter-million U.S. soldiers are within weeks of passing through this desert kingdom on their way to or from the war in neighboring Iraq, the largest such rotation of American forces in history, according to military planners overseeing the project.

"This is a breathtaking, history-making operation," said Army Maj. Gen. Stephen M. Speakes, who runs the rotation from this sand-blown base south of Kuwait City.

Explaining the troop rotation is simple: About 130,000 U.S. soldiers in Iraq will go home and 110,000 will take their places for about a year, in Operation Iraqi Freedom 2.
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The maneuver involves eight of America's 10 active Army divisions and a U.S. Marine Expeditionary Force, along with 40,000 troops from a few dozen countries in the U.S.-led coalition.
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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/02/22/international1353EST0524.DTL