The move means the extended deployment of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. They will operate in Iraq up to 120 additional days.
(WASHINGTON D.C.) - In an effort to quell violence in Baghdad, the Pentagon said Friday that U.S. troop levels in Iraq could rise to 135,000, and hinted that number could be maintained for much of the 2007.
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman says that recent increases, including the delay of the scheduled return of a Alaska-based brigade, could push the number of total U.S. troops to 135,000 in the coming weeks.
As of Friday, there are 16 U.S. combat brigades with 132,000 troops in Iraq, compared to 14 combat brigades several months ago, and the troop levels will further increase by roughly 3,000 in the coming weeks, Whitman said.
Earlier this year, there were talks about a possible draw down of U.S. troop levels in Iraq within this year.
But Pentagon's recent decisions signaled that any decrease in the coming months is highly unlikely.
The Department of Defense announced Thursday additional major units scheduled to deploy as part of the next Operation Iraqi Freedom rotation.
The announcement involves four Army brigades and two Marine Regimental Combat
Teams consisting of approximately 25,000 service members.
The scheduled rotation for the forces will begin in late-2006.
The units announced include:
1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas
4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Bliss, Texas
Regimental Combat Team 2, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
Regimental Combat Team 6, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division from Fort Stewart, Georgia has been placed in a prepare-to-deploy status for possible deployment later this year.
Also, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has approved a request by the Commander of Multi-National Forces-Iraq (MNF-I) to extend the deployment of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team operating in Iraq for up to 120 additional days.
Pentagon: U.S. Troop Levels in Iraq Could Rise to Over 135,000 by Years EndSalem-News.com