KABUL: (MEP) About 1,800 US soldiers from two separate units will deploy to the war zone countries in the coming months, the Army announced Friday.
About 1,300 soldiers will deploy to Iraq this spring to support Operation Inherent Resolve. The other 500 soldiers will deploy to Afghanistan for Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.
In Afghanistan, 2-87 Infantry will join the 10th Mountain Division headquarters, which is serving at Bagram Air Field as the National Support Element.
Maj. Gen. Jeffrey L. Bannister, commander of the 10th Mountain Division said. “Our nation’s Army continues to call upon Mountain soldiers to serve around the world in places such as Afghanistan due to their proven record of high standards, mission success and selfless service.”
These upcoming deployments are part of the regular rotation of forces. However, Gen. John Campbell, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, recently told media that he wants to keep as many U.S. troops in-country as possible through 2016.
Campbell told the paper that maintaining the current force of 9,800 U.S. troops to train Afghan forces and conduct counter-terrorism raids is vital, and that the scheduled reduction to 5,500 by Jan. 1, 2017, should be put off as long as possible.
The security situation in Afghanistan remains tenuous, with several significant events since the end of the American combat mission there. In October, Taliban insurgents stormed the northern provincial capital of Kunduz and were pushed out only after violent fighting, according to USA Today. During that battle, an inadvertent attack by a U.S. warplane on a hospital killed 42 civilians.
In Iraq, the soldiers will be tasked with advising and assisting Iraqi security forces as they prepare to fight (ISIS).
