WASHINGTON, Oct. 8, 2009 â€" An Army armored cavalry unit and three brigade combat teams will deploy to Iraq next summer as part of annual troop rotations there, according to a Defense Department news release issued today.
(Media-Newswire.com) - WASHINGTON, Oct. 8, 2009 – An Army armored cavalry unit and three brigade combat teams will deploy to Iraq next summer as part of annual troop rotations there, according to a Defense Department news release issued today.
Also, an Army headquarters unit and elements of a Marine expeditionary force now in Iraq have been issued deployment extensions, the release said.
The number of troops involved in the movement will total about 15,000 servicemembers. The units will replace redeploying units, with no increase in overall force levels.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates also approved a request by Army Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, to extend the deployment of the 1st Cavalry Division Headquarters for up to an additional 23 days, and elements of the II Marine Expeditionary Force for up to an additional 79 days.
The extensions will ensure that key capabilities are maintained following Iraqi national elections in January and provide support for redeployment of remaining Marines and their equipment.
Odierno said Oct. 1 that current thinking is to maintain U.S. force levels in Iraq between 110,000 and 120,000 troops for the two months after the January election, but ahead of a massive U.S. force reduction expected before next fall.
“What we’ll do is we’ll hold that in place through the elections and about 60 days after the elections,” Odierno told Pentagon reporters. “And depending on how that goes, … then we will make a determination of coming down to the 50,000 transition force by the first of September.”
Related Content
Published by:
N/A
Release Date
This story was released on 2009-10-09. Please make sure to visit the official company or organization web site to learn more about the original release date. See our disclaimer for additional information.