Bush approves extra Marines for Afghanistan

Bush approves extra Marines for Afghanistan
By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, January 16, 2008

ARLINGTON, Va. — President Bush has approved sending an additional 3,200 Marines to Afghanistan this spring, the Defense Department announced Tuesday.

The “extraordinary, one-time deployment” will allow commanders to better train the Afghan security forces and expand on military successes from last year, a Defense Department news release said.

About 2,200 of the Marines will come from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., and about 1,000 will come from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, based out of Twentynine Palms, Calif., officials said.

The 24th MEU will temporarily fill the need for a maneuver force in southern Afghanistan, while the 2-7 Marines will help train Afghan security forces, the news release said.

Last year, commanders in Afghanistan requested about 3,400 troops to help train the Afghan security forces, especially police.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=51664