[Vision2020] What's in a name?...

[Don Kaag]

Garrett:

I suspect that it is much less sinister than you imagine.

Both the 3d ID and the Marines' 15th MEF are rolling north using 
armored vehicles, trucks, humvees, and a variety of other carriers, all 
of which use diesel fuel.  The 3d ID alone started out with a million 
and a half gallons of fuel in organic supply vehicles.  They have moved 
hundreds of miles into Iraq.

Commanders in a combat situation like to keep their vehicles 
"topped-off" in case the Bad Guys show up, so they never let anything 
get below about a half a tank.  Some S-4(battalion supply officer), 
Support Platoon lieutenant or NCO herding HEMITT (5 ton) fuelers around 
in the supply train simply picked two U.S. gas station names out of his 
hat and arbitrarily named a couple of refueling/replentishment points 
"Chevron" and "Shell".

Or, duh, the units that took, and who are now putting out fires, 
de-boobytrapping and securing, the Ramallah oil fields, may have picked 
the name because of all of the oil derricks and pipelines.

It is not all a sinister oil cartel plot.

Regards,

Don Kaag



I was listening to NPR earlier today from a reporter at a military base 
in Iraq.  He said that there were 2 new bases in Iraq, one called 
"Chevron," the other "Shell."  He said no one has taken responsibility 
for choosing the names.

Has anyone else heard about this?

Since this war (officially) is not about the US controlling the Iraqi 
oil fields, the naming of these bases after US oil companies seems a 
bit odd.  In fact, it seems like it's going to piss off a lot of people 
in the Middle East who do view the US invasion as imperialistic.

I wonder when Texaco and Exxon are going to get recognition.  Since the 
British are involved, shouldn't there be a British Petroleum military 
base as well?

Garrett Clevenger