The Other 'Surge'

Everyone is talking about Bush's plan to surge ground troops in Iraq, but what has escaped the media radar for the most part is the Naval surge that is also being considered.

From a recent Navy Times article, here is a rundown of all the ships that could be 'surged'.

The aircraft carrier John C. Stennis and its strike group are preparing to leave for the Persian Gulf as soon as the first week of January if ordered to do so, Pentagon sources say.

If the group deploys early, it could be in the gulf within several weeks, allowing it to overlap there for as many as two months with the Norfolk, Va.-based Dwight D. Eisenhower CSG, which deployed Oct. 3 on a seven-month cruise. It entered the gulf Dec. 11, according to the 5th Fleet.

In addition to Stennis, other available carriers include the Japan-based Kitty Hawk, which operates on a more flexible schedule than U.S.-based carriers and just returned to its home port of Yokosuka on Dec. 10 with Carrier Air Wing 5 after a two-month Western Pacific cruise, and the Norfolk-based Enterprise, which along with Carrier Air Wing 1 remains in a “surge” duty status after its Nov. 18 return from a six-month deployment that included duty in the gulf.

Also, the San Diego-based Ronald Reagan and its strike group, which in July returned from a deployment that included gulf duty, recently completed sustainment training and are ready for a short-notice deployment if called upon, officials say.

The Navy could also launch the San Diego-based Nimitz, which in November completed the first phase of the normal three-phase pre-deployment training cycle. Nimitz has yet to regain its flight deck certification, but Navy officials say that could be accomplished en route to the Middle East.

The Royal Navy also announced that same month that it would station two of its top-of-the-line mine-hunting ships in the gulf in January for a two-year posting (the crews will rotate every six months).

The emphasis is mine to point out the number of ships that could possibly be sent to the Middle East at short notice. Why would we need 6 ships in the Gulf? A show of force or a preemptive act of aggression? Why is this not bigger news? I have a source that is getting ready for an early tour departure. He said, "keep watching the news." That's the entirety of the cryptic message I was given. So, I am not sure what to make of it. What are your thoughts on this?