82d to add more troops to Afghanistan deployment
The 82nd Airborne Division is scheduled to deploy about a thousand troops to Afghanistan next month. Fox News is reporting that the deployment has been expanded to include the entire 1st Brigade Combat Team.
Stars & Stripes is reporting that the increase is contingent upon NATO’s contribution to the fight;
The defense official, who briefed reporters traveling in Israel with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford, said the numbers of U.S. forces to be sent had not yet been decided and would depend on the force levels NATO partners commit to.
[…]
In February, Gen. John Nicholson, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, said he needed a “few thousand” more U.S. troops in Afghanistan to take advantage of the expanded authority granted by the Obama administration, including accompanying conventional Afghan forces and permission to conduct airstrikes against Taliban targets.
The additional manpower would allow the U.S. and NATO partners to expand what Nicholson called “expeditionary advising packages.”
“We would like to be able to advise below the corps level,” Nicholson told Congress earlier this spring. “It’s strictly a question of manning at this point.”
Since Afghanistan is, technically, a NATO operation, NATO should be willing to cough up more manpower. At least now, the US troops there are getting the support that they need from this administration – the politicians are standing aside and allowing the soldiers to do their jobs.
Category: Terror War
And NATO should send in about 20,000 hard chargers and then GTFOOTW and let them loose.
/seems fair.
The only thing Nato will commit to is putting buckets full of OUR money in their pockets!!!
I think this would be a truly hot job for all those glory-seeking, self-aggrandizing military phonies who want to go down the Glory Road. Round ’em up, armor them up, give ’em guns and ammo, and ship their sorry asses over there. If they come back alive, give them a parade. If not, have a nice funeral and toast them, one and all and then go home.
Except for the French. I don’t want them sending any climate change warriors.
No, the Frogs would likely send a 4-star Michelin chef to feed the troops.
That would be appreciated. Armies march on their stomachs, yes?
Mais oui, m’sieur.
Um, pardon his math, but it seems Ol’ Poe remembers that a BCT is considerably more than a thousand troops, something like four to five times that. Not saying I’m opposed but let’s be honest with the numbers.
SIGH. Mission Creep. Again.
Are NATO forces a net negative?
They often operate under much more restrictive rules of engagement.
Their national governments are often signatory to treaties we wisely skipped, especially the later “additional protocols” meant to hamstring the war-fighting ability of the West.
N.A.T.O.
Needs Americans To Operate.
Go get ’em, boys. Good luck and come home safely.
The following items came up on Reuters news feed this afternoon.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-russia-colonel-idUSKBN1850OA
Allegedly, a Russian officer was beheaded in an ISIS video, but no confirmation has been made so far. The question is, why would ISIS do any more to piss off the Russians?
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-usa-kurds-idUSKBN18525V
Meantime, the White House has approved providing arms to Kurdish YPG fighters, despite Turkey’s annoyance about it.
It’s just a smattering of information so far. I will keep looking for info on the alleged Russian. I cannot understand why ISIS would go after the Russians at all. I would like to know that any additional troops we send over there are reasonably safe.
Seen the French operate in Africa. High speed, low drag.They put a lot more folks in the dirt than they get credited.
NATO is a fucking farce. They don’t contribute shit.
ALMOST as bad as the United Nothing.
Here’s hoping that they get the equipment, support and ROE’s they need to get the job done right, beginning with the jettisoning of the many asinine ROE’s put out by the previous administration.