Gulf deployment puts 3rd Infantry in familiar territory

SAVANNAH - The Pentagon&#39;s announcement last week that the Second Brigade, Third Infantry Division (Mechanized) will soon be joined by the division&#39;s remaining two combat brigades from Georgia has some military analysts saying war with Saddam Hussein appears almost certain. <br> <br> The Third Infantry, which will have up to 17-thousand troops in the region, would play a leading role in a fight expected to rely more heavily on ground forces than air strikes, unlike the first Gulf War. <br> <br> The Third Infantry specializes in desert warfare, with a special focus on the Middle East, and many of its senior soldiers are veterans of the first Gulf War. <br> <br> The deployment is NO surprise for soldiers at Fort Stewart, about 30 miles southwest of Savannah. <br> <br> <br>