Re: [Epic] IG and Planetary Assault Landings

From: Los <los_at_...>
Date: Wed, 31 Dec 1997 01:04:44 -0500

Note: This post contains some slightly off topic comments....

Sauron.
I may be able to help you with your question (having spent now 19 years on active
and reserve duty as well as the Gulf, among other places), but I'm not sure I
understand it. Do you want to know how long it took to deploy the whole force, or
how quickly the first infantry, (one brigade from the 82d Airborne) took to get
there?

As far as quick reaction goes,both the 82d airborne and the 101st Air Assault
divisions are able to deploy one battalion anywhere in the world within 18 hours of
notification. The 82d with a little more capability for forced entry due to not
requiring an advanced base to lift from once in theater like the 101st. Both units
could then have the rest of the brigade on site within 48 hours.

Not being a Marine I'm not familiar with their exact capabilities though I'm sure
they are similar. All three Ranger battalions maintain similar capabilities though
one bn is usually stood down for leaves and schools etc. and would take a little
longer.

Regular mech and tank divisions have similar rapid reaction capabilities though are
limited by requiring more time to get their heavy gear over.

Hope that helps a little bit.

The limit for any division is two fold. Training readiness and logistics. All
divisions maintain a green/amber/red cycle, which means one brigade is ready for
deployment, one is in it's heavy training cylce, (usually deploying or preparing to
deploy to either NTC or JRTC) and one brigade is stood down on "post support"
(Leaves, schools, shit details etc.) Given this cycle, it would require extemely
dire circumstances for a division commander to deploy his whole division for a
short term crisis.

Even if he wanted to, logistics plays a second factor. For one thing there just is
not enough airlift and sealift capability to get everybody there quick. Though this
is somewhat ealleviated by prepositionsing equipment, those prepositioned stocks
(some on floating ships ready to deploy) may not be anywhere near the crisis
theater.

Finally the other current "training and readiness distractor" for American units
are all these peacekeeping operations. When you are on these things, there is
little to know readiness training above the individual and squad level that can be
conducted. This begins to degrade capability very quickly. While the capability can
be recovered fairly quickly, it still takes two or three weeks.

In the 40k world, I find it hard to believe that Mars is the only place that makes
weapons, given the immensity of the Imperium and the relative slowness of travel.
What a great target that planet would make! I've got to believe that the I.G. must
prepostion stocks on several on a number of planets around the Imperium to sustain
all thse war efforts. I mean, when you take into account the current Tyrannid
invasion,and it's immense breadth, that would task the logistical pipeline to the
breaking if it's all coming from Mars!


Los



Sauron Moridor wrote:

> Sauron1 writes;
>
> How long did it take the Basic American infantry to deploy effectively
> in the Persian Gulf war? I propose that humans do not change that mutch
> and the IG would take the same amount of material support and such to
> get on with the job. There are a few Military analists on this list who
> could supply some numbers .
>
> sauron1
Received on Wed Dec 31 1997 - 06:04:44 UTC