Most trainer slots for Afghanistan remain unfilled

Most trainer slots for Afghanistan remain unfilled
By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Saturday, November 10, 2007

ARLINGTON, Va. — The request for 3,400 trainers for Afghan troops and police remains unfilled, Defense officials said Friday.

In March, a spokesman for Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan said the trainers had been requested by the commander of Task Force Phoenix, which is in charge of training Afghan security forces.

As of Friday, no additional U.S. troops have arrived in Afghanistan this year to train Afghan security forces, said Army Brig. Gen. Robert E. Livingston Jr., head of Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix VI.

“At this point, we just don’t have the available U.S. forces to bring in 3,400 and keep the same rotational schedules that are necessary to maintain U.S. troop training and U.S. troop levels,” Livingston said.

Later on Friday, a military official said 400 U.S. troops had received orders to fulfill the request for trainers, of which about 200 should have arrived in Afghanistan by August.

Defense officials were still looking into the matter by deadline Friday.


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