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CNN Live Sunday
Military Families Say Goodbye to Soldiers Deployed to Persian Gulf
Aired January 12, 2003 - 17:01 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: On the U.S. home front, families across America are saying good-bye to loved ones, uncertain of when or if they will see them again in the near future as they head towards what could be harm's way, a possible confrontation with Iraq. CNN's Patty Davis says, look for more to go.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Tearful good-byes as these marines left Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, over the weekend.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whenever have you got a family, you got one on the way and another 6-year-old, it makes it pretty difficult, very difficult to leave them behind.
DAVIS: The first wave of 7,000 marines from Camp Lejeune to head out for possible war to Iraq. They're part a seven-ship amphibious task force including the "USS Bataan".
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am ready, put it that way. I mean, we've trained for almost three years for this.
DAVIS: Also deployed, 1,000 soldiers from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, 90 Marine Reservists from Fort Houston, Texas, U.S. Air Force troops in from Germany. In all, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld ordered 62,000 troops to the region on Friday, mainly Marine and Army forces, adding muscle to the 65,000 troops already in the region.
SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: It indicates that the president is going to keep the pressure on Saddam Hussein and on his Generals and on his scientists. It does not indicate that war is inevitable. I hope it isn't.
DAVIS: The latest troop movement, the Pentagon says, intended to give President Bush maximum flexibility, should he decide to go to war with Iraq.
SEN. RICHARD SHELBY, (R), ALABAMA: I believe that we've got do our build-up. We've got to be ready for any eventuality.
DAVIS (on camera): If there is war, the Pentagon says it would ultimately need 250,000 troops, but do the job with less. The U.S. military hopes to have enough firepower in place by mid to late February to launch an attack if ordered. (voice-over): As they ship out...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Throw it down there, guys.
DAVIS: The U.S. troops say they are ready for whatever happens.
Patty Davis, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Persian Gulf>
Aired January 12, 2003 - 17:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: On the U.S. home front, families across America are saying good-bye to loved ones, uncertain of when or if they will see them again in the near future as they head towards what could be harm's way, a possible confrontation with Iraq. CNN's Patty Davis says, look for more to go.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Tearful good-byes as these marines left Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, over the weekend.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whenever have you got a family, you got one on the way and another 6-year-old, it makes it pretty difficult, very difficult to leave them behind.
DAVIS: The first wave of 7,000 marines from Camp Lejeune to head out for possible war to Iraq. They're part a seven-ship amphibious task force including the "USS Bataan".
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am ready, put it that way. I mean, we've trained for almost three years for this.
DAVIS: Also deployed, 1,000 soldiers from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, 90 Marine Reservists from Fort Houston, Texas, U.S. Air Force troops in from Germany. In all, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld ordered 62,000 troops to the region on Friday, mainly Marine and Army forces, adding muscle to the 65,000 troops already in the region.
SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: It indicates that the president is going to keep the pressure on Saddam Hussein and on his Generals and on his scientists. It does not indicate that war is inevitable. I hope it isn't.
DAVIS: The latest troop movement, the Pentagon says, intended to give President Bush maximum flexibility, should he decide to go to war with Iraq.
SEN. RICHARD SHELBY, (R), ALABAMA: I believe that we've got do our build-up. We've got to be ready for any eventuality.
DAVIS (on camera): If there is war, the Pentagon says it would ultimately need 250,000 troops, but do the job with less. The U.S. military hopes to have enough firepower in place by mid to late February to launch an attack if ordered. (voice-over): As they ship out...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Throw it down there, guys.
DAVIS: The U.S. troops say they are ready for whatever happens.
Patty Davis, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Persian Gulf>
