The Star-Telegram March 18, 2003
2 Texas Army divisions are still awaiting orders
By Dave Montgomery
Star-Telegram Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON - Although the U.S. military is poised for imminent war with Iraq, two of Texas' storied Army divisions remain on the sidelines at Fort Hood with an unclear role in the looming conflict.
The 1st Cavalry Division, which has a distinguished record dating to the mid-1800s, and the 4th Infantry Division, among the first into combat during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, both have been tapped for potential action in Iraq, but neither has received specific orders.
The 4th Infantry, also known as the Ironhorse Division, was destined to storm into northern Iraq from Turkey, but those plans were thrown into limbo when the Turkish Parliament on March 1 rejected a resolution allowing the country's bases to be used as U.S. staging areas in an assault on Iraq.
In Istanbul, Turkish leaders said Monday that they are pressing ahead with an attempt to reverse that decision, but the outcome remains uncertain, with polls showing more than 80 percent of the Turkish public opposed to a war.
Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener said the Cabinet will discuss authorization for American troops today, and Parliament could take up the measure Wednesday.
The 4th Infantry Division's equipment is piled on ships in the Mediterranean Sea, while nearly 12,500 troops remain encamped at Fort Hood in Central Texas waiting to learn when they will be sent abroad. The 4th Infantry also has a 3,500-troop brigade based at Fort Carson, Colo.
More than 17,000 members of the 1st Cavalry, known by their distinctive yellow patches, received deployment orders to the Persian Gulf region March 2 but, with war possibly just hours away, have still not been told when they will ship out.
"They are ready to go, they're waiting to get the word to leave," said Dan Hassett, a civilian spokesman at Fort Hood, among the world's largest military installations. "They're just standing by awaiting orders."
The 4th Infantry, which claims 20 Medal of Honor winners over three wars, is a fully digitized high-tech force that embodies Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's vision of the Army of tomorrow.
But defense expert Patrick Garrett said the division might be relegated to a "follow-on" role, driving up from Kuwait behind the 3rd Infantry Division or possibly serving as an occupying force to help stabilize Iraq after the fighting ends.
"They were supposed to play a rather important role and it looks like that role has been diminished," said Garrett, an analyst with Globalsecurity.org. The division's equipment may be rerouted to Kuwait and possibly shared with other units, he said.
The 1st Cavalry appears destined for Kuwait as part of the advance into neighboring Iraq. But Garrett and other analysts also speculated that it might be held back in the United States to be assigned to a completely different theater if hostilities escalate in North Korea.
Garrett said the 1st Cavalry is "force packaged," or specially trained, to deal with a potential conflict on the Korean Peninsula and would be sent to back up the 2nd Infantry Division, based at Camp Red Cloud, South Korea.
This Report Includes Material From the Associated Press.
Copyright © 2003, The Star Telegram
