Troop Deployments

The first group of 250 soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division boards a Boeing 777 Jan. 6, 2003, at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Ga., as part of a mass deployment to Kuwait. The troops boarded a chartered flight as part of the first wave of more than 15,000 troops to deploy to the Middle East.

Medical technician Sgt. Carrie Brown, right, gives the smallpox vaccination to Spc. Jamil Hamilton, Jan. 10, 2003, at Womack Army Medical center, at Fort Bragg, N.C. Fort Bragg received orders over the Jan. 10 weekend to send about 5,000 soldiers to the Persian Gulf region, including a brigade combat team of as many as 4,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division.

A Marine holds his daughter as he and other members of Company C, 4th Reconnaissance Battalion prepare for deployment at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Jan. 11, 2003. About 90 Marine reservists from the 4th Reconnaissance Battalion were preparing to ship out to Southwest Asia.

Cpl. Charles Bishop, 22, of Dearpark, Texas, a member of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, from Camp Lejeune, N.C., packs his gear at the port, in Morehead City, N.C., Jan. 11, 2003, as he prepares to deploy to the Persian Gulf. More than 7,000 Marines from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade are being deployed to the Gulf.

Shawn Walters wipes away tears as she says goodbye to her husband, Navy Petty Officer Courtney Walters, Jan. 11, 2003, at Camp Lejeune, N.C., as he prepares to deploy to the Persian Gulf. Walters is part of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade.

Marines from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C., board the USS Ponce at the port in Morehead City, N.C., Jan. 11, 2003, as the ship prepares to deploy to the Persian Gulf.

Staff Sgt. Paul Roraff, right, and his wife, Kim, embrace while their children, Shelby, center, and Paul Jr., cry before Roraff is deployed with the 96th Transportation Company Jan. 11, 2003, in Fort Hood, Texas. Members of the 13th Corps Support Command were also due to ship out from the Central Texas post in the coming week.

Members of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade from Camp Lejeune work into the night as they load equipment onto the USS Gunston Hall at the port in Morehead City, N.C. Jan. 11, 2003, as they prepare to deploy to the Persian Gulf. The USS Gunston Hall headed out to sea Jan. 12 with an unknown number of Marines aboard.

The crew aboard the USS Ashland man the rails in preparation for being pushed away from the piers by tug boats, Jan. 12, 2003, at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base in Virginia Beach, Va. The amphibious dock landing ship was among four that left that day carrying Marines from Virginia to undisclosed locations.

Marines from Camp Lejeune load their duffle bags and some weapons aboard the USS Bataan Jan. 12, 2003, before departure at the Norfolk naval Station. About 1,000 Marines were bused in from Camp Lejeune to board the Bataan.

A soldier from the 159th Transportation Detachment takes a last look at his friends and family as he and others from his unit begin boarding buses to Langley Air Force Base for deployment in Hampton, Va., Jan. 12, 2003. Three amphibious ships had already been deployed from Hampton Roads a couple of days earlier.

A U.S. Army truck sits at a train crossing in the Port of Antwerp, Belgium, Jan. 12, 2003. More than 500 pieces of U.S. military equipment were due to arrive in the port via train wagon from Vilseck, Germany. The equipment will be shipped to the Gulf region. Additionally, a new deployment is sending about 2,300 Germany-based troops to the Gulf, along with 20 U.S. Apache attack helicopters.