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CHRISTOPHER MORRIS/VII; (inset) JOHN MOORE/AP |
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3RD I N F A N T R Y D I V I S I O N
ITS MISSION: Known as the "Rock of the Marne" for its exploits in France during World War I, the 3rd Infantry consists of 20,000 troops, some 200 M-1 tanks and 260 Bradley fighting vehicles. The unit, which saw heavy action in Kuwait during the first Gulf War, is slated to play a key role in fighting the Republican Guard after crossing the Euphrates River on its way to Baghdad.
THE COMMANDER: Major General Buford C. Blount III, a 32-year Army veteran, assumed control of the 3rd Infantry shortly after 9/11. A Texas native who graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi, he spent four years in Saudi Arabia, advising the kingdom on its military. Though concerned about chemical and biological weapons, he said before the war, "If we go to Baghdad, we are prepared."
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