First of U.S. 4th Division arrives in Kuwait
By John Bisney
CNN Radio
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SPECIAL REPORT
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KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait (CNN) -- Four ships carrying weapons and equipment of the U.S. 4th Infantry Division docked Tuesday at Kuwait City's Shuaibah port, according to the assistant division commander.
Maintenance crews began unloading Apache helicopters, Abrams tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles and armored Humvees, Brig. Gen. Stephen Speakes told CNN.
The equipment and troops should be ready to join other U.S. and British forces in Iraq within weeks if needed, Speakes said.
Approximately 5,000 soldiers from the division, based at Fort Hood, Texas, began flying into a Kuwait air base late last week and were setting up camp in the country's northern desert near the Iraq border. An additional 25,000 division troops were expected to follow.
Some of the 4th Division's equipment includes digital, high-tech displays and electronics, including command and control systems that provide comprehensive views of the battlefield, Speakes said.
"Whether we're in an open environment or an urban environment, we bring a mix of tanks, artillery, and incredible lethality and attack aviation," Speakes said. "It's a well-rounded force that can be used in a variety of roles."
The troops originally were to deploy to Turkey to open a northern front in Iraq, but Turkey refused access, forcing their 30 ships of gear to sail from the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal to the Red Sea and into the Persian Gulf.
The fleet had been waiting for more than two months in the Mediterranean.
CNN Correspondent Richard Blystone contributed to this report.
