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CNN Live Saturday

Ft. Benning Soldiers Ordered to Head to Persian Gulf

Aired December 28, 2002 - 18:08   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.


CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. also is increasing the pressure on the Iraqi front. Thousands of additional U.S. troops are getting their marching orders to head to the Gulf region. Soldiers from Fort Benning, Georgia, are getting ready to head back to an area they just returned form. CNN's Martin Savidge is at Fort Benning, right now, watching the preparations go down.
It has to be tough news, Marty, for these families to get it just as the holidays are wrapping up?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is tough, but the commanders here say that fortunately the order to deploy -- and that in fact, is what they have received. Not an order to prepare to deploy, that came down here to Fort Benning a couple of weeks ago. This is the order that they will be going.

That came down right after Christmas. And the commanders say that they are grateful that at least the families had Christmas together without that hanging over their heads. Although they admit they knew this time was coming.

This is home to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team. That is a heavily mechanized unit. We're talking thousands of men and women, Bradley fighting vehicles, M1A1 Abrams tanks. They are now not wondering if they are going to Iraq, or in that region, it is simply a matter of when. And we are told it is going to be very soon, probably very shortly after the beginning of the year.

Their equipment is already in place, much of it pre-positioned in the region, on ships or on land. So, the soldiers say once they get there they can be ready in a matter of days and they will be getting there soon.

As you pointed out, they were just in that region back in October, taking part in Operation Desert Spring, a very real training exercise in the Kuwaiti desert very near the Iraqi border. And Lt. Col. Geoff Ward says it was very advantageous and very timely training.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. COL. GEOFF WARD, EXC. OFC. 3rd BRIGADE: This is clearly one of the best-trained brigades. We just came back off a six-month deployment over to the region where we've trained out in the desert as a brigade combat team. Which is just an opportunity that you are not afforded in the United States or any other place where the military is.

As operated as a brigade, unhindered by any resources. It is just amazing. We've done force-on-force exercises. We've done it day, night. We've done live fire exercises. Bringing in the Air Force, attack helicopters, as well as all the maneuver of the tanks and Bradley supported by artillery and engineers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: Operation Desert Spring is an ongoing training exercise but it is hard to believe it was just coincidence that the 3rd Brigade was in Kuwait in October and is now headed back. They won't say exactly where this brigade is headed, but it is safe to say that Kuwait is a most likely destination.

And the officers say that as a result of that exercise they are better trained and better able to carry out whatever order comes there way next -- Carol.

LIN: All right, thank you very much. CNN's Martin Savidge live at Fort Benning, Georgia.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired December 28, 2002 - 18:08   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. also is increasing the pressure on the Iraqi front. Thousands of additional U.S. troops are getting their marching orders to head to the Gulf region. Soldiers from Fort Benning, Georgia, are getting ready to head back to an area they just returned form. CNN's Martin Savidge is at Fort Benning, right now, watching the preparations go down.
It has to be tough news, Marty, for these families to get it just as the holidays are wrapping up?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is tough, but the commanders here say that fortunately the order to deploy -- and that in fact, is what they have received. Not an order to prepare to deploy, that came down here to Fort Benning a couple of weeks ago. This is the order that they will be going.

That came down right after Christmas. And the commanders say that they are grateful that at least the families had Christmas together without that hanging over their heads. Although they admit they knew this time was coming.

This is home to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team. That is a heavily mechanized unit. We're talking thousands of men and women, Bradley fighting vehicles, M1A1 Abrams tanks. They are now not wondering if they are going to Iraq, or in that region, it is simply a matter of when. And we are told it is going to be very soon, probably very shortly after the beginning of the year.

Their equipment is already in place, much of it pre-positioned in the region, on ships or on land. So, the soldiers say once they get there they can be ready in a matter of days and they will be getting there soon.

As you pointed out, they were just in that region back in October, taking part in Operation Desert Spring, a very real training exercise in the Kuwaiti desert very near the Iraqi border. And Lt. Col. Geoff Ward says it was very advantageous and very timely training.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. COL. GEOFF WARD, EXC. OFC. 3rd BRIGADE: This is clearly one of the best-trained brigades. We just came back off a six-month deployment over to the region where we've trained out in the desert as a brigade combat team. Which is just an opportunity that you are not afforded in the United States or any other place where the military is.

As operated as a brigade, unhindered by any resources. It is just amazing. We've done force-on-force exercises. We've done it day, night. We've done live fire exercises. Bringing in the Air Force, attack helicopters, as well as all the maneuver of the tanks and Bradley supported by artillery and engineers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: Operation Desert Spring is an ongoing training exercise but it is hard to believe it was just coincidence that the 3rd Brigade was in Kuwait in October and is now headed back. They won't say exactly where this brigade is headed, but it is safe to say that Kuwait is a most likely destination.

And the officers say that as a result of that exercise they are better trained and better able to carry out whatever order comes there way next -- Carol.

LIN: All right, thank you very much. CNN's Martin Savidge live at Fort Benning, Georgia.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com