Iraq's New Era

Newly graduated soldiers hold up Iraq flags as they march during their graduation ceremony at the Besmaya army camp in Baghdad November 18, 2007. Reuters photo.

The Real Surge
By DJ Elliott
November 23, 2007 10:44 AM

While the "surge" of five US brigades plus their accompanying support elements, about 30,000 US troops total, is the main focus of commentators when discussing the current situation in Iraq, the real surge in Iraq is happening behind the scenes. The rapidly expanding Iraqi Army is where the real surge in forces is occurring.

By the time the US plans to reduce its combat forces to pre-surge levels (July 2008), the real surge is planned to have increased the Iraqi Army to 13 divisions, 49 brigades, 154 battalions, and five or six ISOF battalions.

This includes finishing the retraining and equipping of the former SIBs transferred to the Iraqi Army. The manning of the Iraqi Army is currently planned to reach 120 percent of unit strength by July 2008.

From the time the US surge of only five combat brigades was announced to the time it ends, the real surge will have increased the Iraqi Army field forces by 30 percent in divisions, 40 percent in brigades, 50 percent in battalions, and 150 percent in ISOF.

In addition the existing Iraqi Army combat unit manning will have increased to 120 percent from the pre-surge level of approximately 65 percent.

The Iraqi Army will field the following units by July 2008:
4-3 Brigade - Southwest Ninawa

4-5 Brigade - Diyala

4-7 Light Armored Cavalry Brigade - Anbar (Rutbah)

3-14 Brigade - Basrah

4-14 Brigade - Basrah

12th Division Headquarters - Tikrit

1-12 Brigade - Western Kirkuk (retrained SIBs)

2-12 Brigade - Northern Salahadin (retrained SIBs)

3-12 Brigade - Southern Salahadin (retrained SIBs)

One or two more battalions of ISOF and ISOF Aviation Squadron

While the surge brigades will eventually depart, the Iraqi Army is not leaving Iraq.