The United States will deploy about 6,000 American soldiers to Europe and Afghanistan, according to the U.S. Army.
On Thursday, the largest branch of the U.S. armed forces announced that an estimated 4,000 soldiers from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, will be sent to Europe beginning this fall in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
The offensive refers to ongoing operations aimed at reassuring NATO allies concerned about Russia’s intentions in Eastern Europe.
In a statement, Col. David Gardner, commander of 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, noted, “The Dagger Brigade is looking forward to deploying back to Europe. The brigade has served most of its 100-year history in support of our European allies and will arrive after a year of training ready to do so again.”
Moreover, the Army announced Thursday that 1,500 soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, will deploy to Afghanistan this summer in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, the name for the U.S. mission in the war-ravaged country.
“Since spearheading allied assaults in Sicily and Anzio in 1943, the Devil Brigade has accomplished its missions through disciplined initiative,” said Col. Toby Magsig, commander of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, in a statement. “The same endures today. The ‘Devils in Baggy Pants’ are well-trained, well-equipped, and ready to assist our Afghan partners as part of the Resolute Support mission.”
The Army also revealed that another 200 soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division Headquarters, stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia, will be sent to the war zone in Afghanistan this summer in support of Freedom’s Sentinel.
“The Marne Division is trained and ready to deploy in support of this important mission,” said Maj. Gen. James Rainey, commander of 3rd Infantry Division, in a statement. “The number one priority at the 3rd Infantry Division is readiness, and I am confident our soldiers are ready to serve our nation’s call.”
The U.S. Army announced the upcoming deployments to Afghanistan on the same day that Bill Roggio, an expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and editor of the Long War Journal, told American lawmakers that America is “losing in Afghanistan.”
He added that despite the more than 16-year-old U.S. military effort against al-Qaeda and its Taliban ally, the two terrorist groups are growing stronger and remain a threat to America’s national security.
The Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) has also established a branch in the country, but the Taliban and al-Qaeda remain a bigger threat, noted the FDD expert.
An estimated 300 U.S. Marines were recently deployed to the Taliban stronghold in the southern Afghanistan province located along the Pakistan border, Helmand, one of the deadliest regions of the ongoing war for coalition forces.
Prior to the recent Marine deployment, there were an estimated 8,300 U.S. forces serving in Afghanistan.
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