henryc@cs.umr.edu (Henry Clark) (10/18/89)
From: henryc@cs.umr.edu (Henry Clark) Bill, I think someone wanted to post this but they sent uploaded via ftp to here. I really don't care if people want to forward stuff to me for me to forward to you if they can't directly reach you as long as they know you're the moderator... Henry ---------------------CUT HERE------------------- Gentlemen: I am sending this via FTP because cadets at West Point do not have email capabilities. The powers-that-be forgot about FTP procedures, thus I must rely on them. Please review, and post this response in regard to the "Army in Panama." Thank you very much. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- cyrius@dopey.cc.utexas.edu replies: >>How strong is the U.S army in Panama? And would an U.S intervention have >>been a mistake, from a military point of view? > The Army's 183rd Infantry(?) are the ones stationed down >there that I recall seeing all the time throughout my childhood >and early college days, but I don't know their numerical strength. The 193rd Infantry Brigade is stationed in the Canal Zone, Panama. The brigade is composed of two battalions, the 5/87 Infantry and the 1/508 Infantry (Airborne). The 5/87 is stationed at Ft Clayton and the 1/508 is on the other side of the Canal at Ft Kobbee. The deployed units are still there which include units from the 7th Infantry Division and the 5th Infantry Division. There are several engineer and military police units (as well as others) deployed there. I cannot indicate which Marine units were deployed there. >I recall seeing are APCs (not M113, but wheeled vehicles, not tracks) >and some small artillery pieces. Units from the 5th ID brought their M113's. Believe me, they are everywhere. The Marines use LAV's (Light Armored Vehicles) which are wheeled vehicles. They, too, are everywhere. There is only one artillery unit, D Battery 320th FA, stationed in Panama. D Batt is at Ft Kobbee. An additional battery from the 7th ID is deployed to the Atlantic side of the Canal at Ft Sherman. I cannot tell which battery is presently there since they rotates on a regular basis. Both D Batt and the deployed 7th ID Batt are M102 (105mm) howitzer units. >The Air Force is mainly C-130, Dragonflies(?) and lots of Hueys and >the odd Chinook. First, the Air Force does not deal with Hueys or any other helicopters. That is US Army domain. Howard Air Force Base is a major air base, used as the midpoint between the States and South America. There are plenty of C-130's, but also C-5's and C-141's. I remember seeing at least 2 Spectre gunships. There were Dragonflies, A-4, and, I think I saw them, F-4's. The US Army has Hueys, Cobras, Blackhawks, and Chinooks in Panama, primarily Blackhawks. To dispel uncertainty, the Air Force has helicopters for utility purposes but none in Panama that I am aware of. >... a lot of troops go for training down there year round, >from astronauts to Special Ops, Thunderbirds (F-4s back when I first >saw them) to B-52s. Both US Army, National Guard, and Air National Guard units rotate to Panama regularly. While I was in Panama, a battalion of Rangers (don't know which) rotated out and a battalion from the 82nd rotated in. The 101st also rotates units to Panama frequently. Groups of people from the Drug Enforcement Agency were going through portions of the Jungle Operations Training Center when I was there. A Special Operations airlift passed through as well. >So across the street from the HQ is Ancon Hill and >Balboa Heights former american civilian neighborhoods and up the road >west is the Canal and just past that are Fort Kobee, Howard >AFB, and a Naval base whose name I can't recall. >...Fort Albrook is closer to Panama City, but I don't think there >are any active troops there. >It is the former site of the School of the Americas. The Panamanian HQ is at Amador, which is jointly occupied by US and Panamanian forces. Amador is the Southern Command Naval Headquarters. Most of the facilities there are US. North of that are Corozal, Ancon, and Ft Clayton. All three are major Army installations. Ft Clayton is the only post with troops. It is also US Army Southern Command Headquarters as well as home of the 5/87 Infantry. Ancon Hill which is in the middle of Ancon and Quarry Heights is jointly occupied by Panamanian and US forces. Albrook Air Force Base is also north of Amador. Since it is an Air Force base, there are no active troops there. Howard Air Force Base receives the most traffic. Albrook AFB was and still is the home of the Air Force Academy of the Americas, which is a training-the-trainer type school dealing with maintenance, equipment, etc. Not to be confused with the United States Air Force Academy. These places (and more unmentioned ones) are on the east side of the Canal. Ft Kobbee, Howard AFB, and Rodman Naval Station are on the west side of the Canal. While all of the above locations are on the Pacific end of the Canal, Ft Sherman and Ft Davis are on the Atlantic side. One should remember that the Canal runs north-northwest, not east to west. DISCLAIMER: I was assigned in Panama with D Battery 320th FA for 5 weeks this summer as part of cadet summer training. My information comes from my experiences in Panama. By no means do my opinions reflect the opinions of the US Army, the 193rd Infantry Brigade, the United States Military Academy, or the United States Corps of Cadets. I am unable to receive email. Therefore, send any responses via the postal service. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CADET ERIC DUTTON | United States Military Academy PO Box 1449 Company G-1 | Class of 90 - The Proud and Mighty West Point, New York 10997 | Go Army!!! - Beat Navy!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------
cyrius@cs.utexas.edu (Juan Chen) (10/24/89)
From: ut-emx!walt.cc.utexas.edu!cyrius@cs.utexas.edu (Juan Chen) Allow me to make some final comments before letting this subject die. >The Panamanian HQ is at Amador, which is jointly occupied by US and >Panamanian forces. Amador is the Southern Command Naval Headquarters. >Most of the facilities there are US. North of that are Corozal, Ancon, There is _A_ combined US/Panama HQ in Amador because of the treaties, given that the Pacific entrance to the Canal is there. It is NOT the Headquarters of the Panamanian Defense Forces. That one was built many years ago, even before the Torrijos years I'm sure. That was the one where Noriega was at the time of the attemped coup. It is located about 500 yrds. south of Ancon Hill in the area called Chorrillo, because of a creek that flowed from Ancon to that area when it was populated during the construction of the Canal. Amador's facilities are indeed American built, because it WAS an American base until 1978 or 79. Can you see Noriega sitting in Amador with US MPs outside his door? Juan Chen Descendant of a Canal worker University of Texas @ Austin \___/ cyrius@walt.cc.utexas.edu U -------- "...There's more than one answer to these questions -------- Juan G. Chen cyrius@dopey.cc.utexas.edu University of Texas@Austin (or grumpy, or doc, or happy...) P.O. Box 8362 128.83.135.10 Austin, TX 78713 -------- pointing me in a crooked line..." Indigo Girls --------