Six more combat units to head to Iraq: Pentagon
The United States will send six additional combat units, totaling some 33,000 soldiers and marines, to Iraq in early 2009, the Pentagon announced on Monday.
By Agencies |
WASHINGTON: The United States will send six additional combat units, totaling some 33,000 soldiers and marines, to Iraq in early 2009, the Pentagon announced on Monday.
Officials said the units would replace troops currently serving in Iraq, and will allow the Pentagon to hold steady at 15 fighting brigades there.
"This is a planning effort to sustain the current level of operations," said spokesman Bryan Whitman, who added that US military leaders "can always have units that redeploy earlier and deploy later" as needed.
Whitman said the announcement Monday was made months in advance, to give the US armed forces members time to make the necessary preparations.
"It's proper, prudent planning to give units the time to train, and to ensure they are notified in a deliberate fashion, and well in advance of when they would have to deploy," he said.
General David Petraeus, who received a Senate committee's approval last week to become US commander in the Middle East, is by September to make a recommendation on whether a drawdown of US forces can continue after the last surge brigade leaves Iraq in July.
Petraeus currently serves as commander of US forces in Iraq.
Officials said the units would replace troops currently serving in Iraq, and will allow the Pentagon to hold steady at 15 fighting brigades there.
"This is a planning effort to sustain the current level of operations," said spokesman Bryan Whitman, who added that US military leaders "can always have units that redeploy earlier and deploy later" as needed.
Whitman said the announcement Monday was made months in advance, to give the US armed forces members time to make the necessary preparations.
"It's proper, prudent planning to give units the time to train, and to ensure they are notified in a deliberate fashion, and well in advance of when they would have to deploy," he said.
General David Petraeus, who received a Senate committee's approval last week to become US commander in the Middle East, is by September to make a recommendation on whether a drawdown of US forces can continue after the last surge brigade leaves Iraq in July.
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Petraeus currently serves as commander of US forces in Iraq.
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