Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Fayetteville (NC) Observer
January 8, 2008 By Henry Cuningham, Military editor
Lt. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III said Monday that he expects to take charge of forces in Iraq in mid-February.
“Between now and mid-February, of course, we will make final preparations and actually move over to get situated to assume command,” he said.
Austin, the commander of Fort Bragg and the 18th Airborne Corps, made his comments during an interview with George Breece on WFNC (640 AM) radio. He and his wife, Charlene, discussed the upcoming deployment and its effect on Fort Bragg and military families.
“The community outreach has just been fabulous,” Charlene Austin said. “We are very, very appreciative of the new initiatives that Fayetteville has launched for us.”
The corps headquarters will be making its third deployment since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The headquarters has been deployed in Afghanistan and will be making its second deployment in Iraq.
“There are a number of folks that are in the ranks that have prior experience in Iraq or Afghanistan or both,” the general said. “We’ve been able to capitalize on that experience by doing a number of things.”
In preparation, the corps staff has conducted mission rehearsal exercises on Fort Bragg, traveled to U.S. Central Command at Tampa, Fla., and brought in retired senior military officers for advice.
“The electronic connectivity that we have now far exceeds any capability that we’ve ever had before,” Austin said. He sees most of the briefings and reads most of the reports the commander in Iraq is reading, he said.
Austin will replace Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno as commander of the Multi-National Corps-Iraq. Odierno has held the job since Dec. 14, 2006.
Multi-National Corps-Iraq is the tactical unit responsible for operations throughout Iraq. The command is part of Gen. David Petraeus’ Multi-National Force-Iraq.
January 8, 2008 By Henry Cuningham, Military editor
Lt. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III said Monday that he expects to take charge of forces in Iraq in mid-February.
“Between now and mid-February, of course, we will make final preparations and actually move over to get situated to assume command,” he said.
Austin, the commander of Fort Bragg and the 18th Airborne Corps, made his comments during an interview with George Breece on WFNC (640 AM) radio. He and his wife, Charlene, discussed the upcoming deployment and its effect on Fort Bragg and military families.
“The community outreach has just been fabulous,” Charlene Austin said. “We are very, very appreciative of the new initiatives that Fayetteville has launched for us.”
The corps headquarters will be making its third deployment since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The headquarters has been deployed in Afghanistan and will be making its second deployment in Iraq.
“There are a number of folks that are in the ranks that have prior experience in Iraq or Afghanistan or both,” the general said. “We’ve been able to capitalize on that experience by doing a number of things.”
In preparation, the corps staff has conducted mission rehearsal exercises on Fort Bragg, traveled to U.S. Central Command at Tampa, Fla., and brought in retired senior military officers for advice.
“The electronic connectivity that we have now far exceeds any capability that we’ve ever had before,” Austin said. He sees most of the briefings and reads most of the reports the commander in Iraq is reading, he said.
Austin will replace Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno as commander of the Multi-National Corps-Iraq. Odierno has held the job since Dec. 14, 2006.
Multi-National Corps-Iraq is the tactical unit responsible for operations throughout Iraq. The command is part of Gen. David Petraeus’ Multi-National Force-Iraq.