Marine combat reserves going back to war

WASHINGTON – The Marines are planning to send back to Iraq at least some reserve combat battalions that have already served one tour there, officials said Wednesday – the first time such units would be returned to the war.

The plan to remobilize those reserve forces is designed to relieve some of the growing strain on active-duty Marines.

A Marine Corps spokesman, Lt. Col. Scott Fazekas, said Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld gave the Marines the go-ahead to conduct detailed planning on how the battalion reactivations would be done.

The Army, which is organized differently than the Marine Corps, has not sent any of its National Guard combat brigades back to Iraq for a second tour, although it is considering making more use of the Guard. Both the Marines and Army have sent reserve support units and active-duty forces to Iraq multiple times.

The return of Marine Reserve combat battalions to Iraq would begin in 2008, according to a senior Marine officer who discussed the subject on condition he not be identified. Thus, the first picked to go back probably would be remobilized next year to train for the mission.