Fox News is reporting that one of the units going to Iraq is a detachment of Apache Attack Helicopters.
This caught me off guard.
Unless they're talking about flying missions just outside the airport (perimeter patrol) and maybe escorting convoys to and from the airport, I just don't get it.
Even with that limited mission scope, you'd need to setup a "reaction force" to be prepared to recover downed helicopter pilots and that can be a manpower intensive, risky affair.
This thing is already suffering mission creep. I can see the planners now. We can do it with X, Y and Z...but if you want to ensure proper force protection we're going to need 1, 2, and 3.
How soon before we see a Stryker Brigade dispatched?
