US Soldiers Readying for Ukraine Deployment

[Peace Piper]

Sgt. Richard Lacombe shows Ukrainian National Guard Soldiers the proper procedures
for operating an M4 rifle at Rapid Trident 2014 in Yavoriv, Sept. 16. (Photo: Spc. Joshua Leonard)

By Paul McLeary 4:31 p.m. EST March 3, 2015

It's been no secret that US and a handful of UK forces have been planning on traveling
to Yavoriv this spring to begin training Ukrainian forces for their fight against pro-Russian
separatists in the eastern part of the country. But officials have at times been vague as
to dates and times and numbers.

The solicitation also states that "the US and Ukrainian Army shall conduct a joint training
mission at the International Peacekeeping and Security Center (IPSC) near L'viv, Ukraine
from approximately 5 MAR - 31 OCT 15."

The Army will rotate 300 troops at a time it appears, with March, May, July, August and
October being the relief dates for each group.

The plan to train four companies of the Ukrainian National Guard comes as part of a
US State Department initiative "to assist Ukraine in strengthening its law enforcement
capabilities, conduct internal defense, and maintain rule of law," Pentagon spokeswoman
Lt. Col. Vanessa Hillman told Defense News this year.

Funding for the initiative is coming from the congressionally-authorized Global Security
Contingency Fund (GSCF), which was requested by the Obama administration in the fiscal
2015 budget to help train and equip the armed forces of allies around the globe.

The United States has already earmarked $19 million to help build the Ukrainian National Guard...SNIP MORE
http://www.defensenews.com/story/def...-war/24327263/

[Cleaner44]

It worked in Vietnam. What could go wrong?

[CaptainAmerica]

.....just doing their jobs...jawb.jawrbs................following an idiot into war doesn't require taking responsibility when lives are put at risk and lives are taken,or mamed.

[Demigod]

Knowing how to call air strikes is not of any use if you don't have an air force.

[Slave Mentality]

Ukraine needs some USA freedom spreading. Get all nice and cozy out in the open and that proxy war might not be so proxy before too long.

[jkob]

hopefully they train them as well as they did the Iraqi Army

[DFF]

They can provide them with weapons and logistics training, buy they can't make them want to fight.

[Brian4Liberty]

So they can defend themselves from those evil separatists who are marching on them and shelling Kiev. Oh wait, it's really the other way around.

[UWDude]

hopefully they train them as well as they did the Iraqi Army

They can provide them with weapons and logistics training, buy they can't make them want to fight.

Exactly.
In the middle east, they trained the Iraqi army and Syrian rebels well. Problem was, they didn't want to fight, unless, of course, they believed in the Islamic State, then they became a nightmare.

In Ukraine, training will do well, but I am still quite sure Ukraine will fall back under russian political influence in a decade anyway.

[Peace Piper]

In Ukraine, training will do well,

"Training" worked well in Vietnam, didn't it.

but I am still quite sure Ukraine will fall back under russian political influence in a decade anyway.

Isn't that up to the people in that region? How many more billions will the Victoria Nulands and Robert Kagans throw around to try to influence the future? Why haven't the American People demanded an audit of where the last $5 BILLION dollars went? Do you think this "training" and meddling around is a good idea?

In any case, this won't escalate. No way.

[KCIndy]

MISTAKE.

[H. E. Panqui]

...is this story true?...according to rand paul, "This does not and should not require military action. No one in the U.S. is calling for this."

http://time.com/17648/sen-rand-paul-u-s-must-take-strong-action-against-putins-aggression/

[Natural Citizen]

Hm. In the mean time Russia talks about Moscow Beijing high speed rail details and willingness to sell China 50% stakes in oil and gas fields

So, then, China continues to expand. Seems to me that U.S. Foreign policy is accomplishing the exact opposite of what it is supposed to be accomplishing by tinkering with the Ukraine and Putin. Right?

Probably might ought to sit down and have a pow wow with Putin honest injun. Or something...

[Peace Piper]

...is this story true?

Maybe Defensenews.com is lying.

It's not news to people that were paying attention for the last few months. The White House has issued paper after paper explaining that they were preparing to spend a lot of money and resources in Ukraine.

http://search.whitehouse.gov/search?...&query=Ukraine

Here's one

FACT SHEET: U.S. Crisis Support Package for Ukraine

Energy Security: Over the coming weeks, expert teams from several U.S. government agencies will travel to the region to help Ukraine meet immediate and longer term energy needs.

Today, a U.S. interagency expert team arrived in Kyiv to help Ukraine secure reverse flows of natural gas from its European neighbors. The team will continue on to Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia in the coming days to work on the details of these arrangements. Reverse flows of natural gas will provide Ukraine with additional immediate sources of energy.

U.S. technical experts will join with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and others in May to help Ukraine develop a public-private investment initiative to increase conventional gas production from existing fields to boost domestic energy supply.

A technical team will also engage the government on measures that will help the Ukrainian government ensure swift and environmentally sustainable implementation of contracts signed in 2013 for shale gas development...

snip

Security Assistance: In addition to the $50 million package, today we are announcing the provision of $8 million of non-lethal military assistance to allow the Ukrainian armed forces and State Border Guard Service to fulfill their core security missions. The additional supplies include:

Explosive Ordnance Disposal equipment and handheld radios for Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
Engineering equipment, communications equipment, vehicles, and non-lethal individual tactical gear for Ukraine’s Border Guard Service.

This is in addition to the $3 million of Meals Ready to Eat and nearly $7 million of health and welfare assistance the United States is already providing to Ukraine. The United States will continue to actively review requests for additional support as Ukraine’s government further modernizes its armed forces and deals with evolving threats.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-...ackage-ukraine

Joe Biden's Son Is Now On The Board Of One Of Ukraine's Biggest Gas Conglomerates, Burisma.com
http://www.businessinsider.com/hunte...oldings-2014-5

There's this- maybe they are lying too

Boots on the Ground: US Military Instructors Arrive in Ukraine
05.March 2015

The US previously announced that they were planning on sending at least 300 military personnel to train Ukrainian soldiers. The American personnel will be stationed at the Yavoriv International Peacekeeping and Security Center (IPSC).

The 300 US Army military personnel deployed to Ukraine to conduct a joint training mission with the Ukrainian army at a peacekeeping center near Lviv from March 5 until October 21 have already arrived, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs representative Aleksandr Lukashevich announced on Thursday..
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150305/1019092001.html


The limited search I did provided no US Mainstream sources. I wonder why that is. Maybe they're busy. Or maybe they know it's a lie. Or something.

...according to rand paul, This does not and should not require military action. No one in the U.S. is calling for this."
http://time.com/17648/sen-rand-paul-...ns-aggression/

What a disgusting bunch of pablum from Rand. His Daddy needs to have a chit chat.

U.S. Must Take Strong Action Against Putin’s Aggression
Sen. Rand Paul March 9, 2014

Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine (WHAT?) is a gross violation of that nation’s sovereignty and an affront to the international community. His continuing occupation of Ukraine is completely unacceptable, and Russia’s President should be isolated for his actions.

It is America’s duty to condemn these actions in no uncertain terms. It is our role as a global leader to be the strongest nation in opposing Russia’s latest aggression.

Putin must be punished for violating the Budapest Memorandum, and Russia must learn that the U.S. will isolate it if it insists on acting like a rogue nation.

This does not and should not require military action. No one in the U.S. is calling for this. But it will require other actions and leadership, both of which President Obama unfortunately lacks.

I recommend a number of specific and decisive measures to punish Putin for his ongoing aggression...

...SNIP

...The U.S., in cooperation with the international community, should respond to Russia’s aggression with action.

The Budapest Memorandum said that Russia wouldn’t violate the integrity of Ukraine, but now it has. There is no realistic military option in this conflict, at least for the U.S. But this does not mean there aren’t options, many of which I’ve outlined here.

The real problem is that Russia’s President is not currently fearful or threatened in any way by America’s President, despite his country’s blatant aggression.

But let me be clear: If I were President, I wouldn’t let Vladimir Putin get away with it.

Ron wouldn't have written that bullshite. What a disgrace. We'll see who stands for principle soon enough. I won't be voting for anyone who writes the likes of the above. If Rand thinks he's going to get a bunch of money bombs talking like that he might have a rude awakening coming. Or, maybe lots of people will now decide that worldwide military interference is a good thing. I won't be going along.