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American Morning

Military Options: Fort Bragg Background

Aired November 21, 2001 - 09:47   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Bill Hemmer joins us. He's got a look at Fort Bragg and the special-ops forces trained there.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Certainly do. Leon, good morning once again to you.

To help us give an idea of just how important this base is, let's go to Chicago.

CNN military analyst retired Army General David Grange.

General, morning to you.

GEN. DAVID GRANGE, (RET.) CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Good morning.

HEMMER: We hear so much about special-ops in this current conflict. Who works out of Fort Bragg, sir?

GRANGE: Fort Bragg really provides our armed forces with a lot of capability. You have the 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, which has the 82nd Airborne Division, and a lot of core support units that support several divisions throughout the United States. The 10th Mountain Division, which is in New York, which has soldiers right now overseas in Uzbekistan, the 101st Airborne Division Air Assault at Fort Campbell and the Third Infantry Division, (UNINTELLIGIBLE), down in Fort Stewart, Georgia. You also have United States Army special operations command, which is pictures that you are looking at now, which has Army green berets, Rangers, the special-ops aviation regimen out of Fort Campbell, psychological warfare units and civil affairs units.

HEMMER: A whole lot there to talk about. You've been through there, been through Fort Bragg. We hear about how tough it can be. Tell us, how tough is it?

GRANGE: Well, Fort Bragg, it really gives you a chance to be a part of many great organizations. I had the opportunity to serve there for five different tours, in airborne units, with the paratroopers, special forces units, and special operations command. It's a large training area. It's adjacent to Pope Air Force Base. They have all of the transport aircraft. So it's a lot of jointness at Fort Bragg, and it's also very close to Camp Lejune, North Carolina, where you have the Marines located on the East Coast, so there is a lot of joint training with the Marines as well. So with the Marines, the Air Force located there at Pope, and then all of the armies units at Fort Bragg, it's great, tremendous training facility, and it's about the size of the forces at Fort Hood, Texas.

HEMMER: These guys know thousand get it done. Take a look at what Secretary Rumsfeld will be saying and doing today, and as you look at the screen right here, as we go down the list here, what sticks out from your recollection and your experience?

GRANGE: Well, the sniper school for the special operations soldiers, a very advanced school on teaching soldiers how to not only shoot and kill enemy soldiers at long distances, but also how to perform reconnaissance and live in the environments. A lot of special forces weapons demonstrations showing close-in shooting of special operations forces, like clearing rooms and hostage rescue situations, or just going into snatch an enemy leader as an example. You are going to see Rangers equipment on what they use to seize airfields, do raids and ambushes at Fort Bragg.

So you really see a lot of talent, a lot of capability with what the secretary of defense will see on his trip to Fort Bragg.

HEMMER: Thank you, general. See you soon.

GRANGE: OK, thank you.

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