Septic Colonel Removed

Sounds dodgy

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1086322,00.html

COLONEL REMOVED

A US commander who led a fierce push by Marines through southern Iraq towards Baghdad has been relieved of his post, a US military spokesman said.


The spokesman did not give any reasons for the move, AFP news agency reported.

The officer was named as Colonel Joe Dowdy, commander of the Marines First Regimental Combat Team 1.

Dowdy was in command of 5,000 men and women and had led the regiment's advance through southern and central Iraq, including a bloody passage through the Euphrates River town of Nasiriyah.

He was described as a popular commander who kept casualties down in leading his troops to within 80 miles from Baghdad.

Military spokesman Steven Schweitzer said: "He was responsible for the regiment until three hours ago."

Officials at the US Central Command war headquarters in Qatar declined to comment.

"At this time we have no information about anyone being relieved of command," Centcom spokesman Lieutenant Commander Joshua Rushing said.

But another senior officer, who declined to be named, said a replacement for Dowdy had been announced and a helicopter crew had been given orders to ferry the colonel back to Kuwait.

 

This wouldn't have anything to do with the "taking of Baghdad Airport" which now looks like it might have been premature is it?

 

Would they sack him for that? It will be interesting to find out what exactly he has done to merit what must surely be a career ending moment.

Maybe some of the American ARRSE users can shed some light on this.

 

According to CNN and everyone else this side (US) of the pond it was the third infantry division that took the airport not the marines.  Not that they're the best source of information.

 

Just found out why he went.

"The unexpected, April 4th, removal of the commander of one of the three U.S. Marine regiments advancing on Baghdad has been explained. The division commander expected much more aggressive leadership from Colonel Joe Dowdy, the commander of the 1st Marine Regiment. It was Dowdy's first combat command and he favored a more careful approach that minimized friendly casualties. The marine riflemen under his command knew and appreciated this. But the culture of the marines is one of more aggressive action, as least according to Dowdy's boss. This situation may have been made worse by the fact that the U.S. Army 3rd Mechanized division was the first into Baghdad. While no one officially spoke of any "competition", the issue was tossed about jokingly, or seriously, by pundits, reporters and some of the troops over the last two weeks."


http://strategypage.com/fyeo/qndguide/default.asp?target=iraq&base=iraq&Prev=0&BeginCnt=43

 

Obviously he didn't kill enough civvies/Brits/Yanks

 

The rivalry between the US Army and Marines is not to be underestimated. There was a very good account written about the Grenada invasion a few years back which detailed some of the in-fighting between all the US services in the run up to it. It made my hair stand on end, the sheer pointless pettiness of it was mind -blowing. It also led to a lot of unnecessary casualties. This Marine CO being sacked for not getting to the Airport before the Army seems very plausible to me.