<%@LANGUAGE="VBSCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> WorldTribune.com: Mobile — U.S. to deploy Army brigades to mentor Iraqis

U.S. to deploy Army brigades to mentor Iraqis

Thursday, July 16, 2009   E-Mail this story   Free Headline Alerts

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army has been ordered to form four brigades for deployment in Iraq.

Officials said the Defense Department has approved the formation of army brigades that would focus on training and mentoring the Iraqi military. They said the troops from the new Advisory and Assistance Brigades would begin arriving in Iraq in September 2009.

"The brigades, known as AABs, are specially configured army units focused on training and mentoring Iraqi security forces," the Pentagon said on July 14.

Officials said 30,000 U.S. troops, including combat forces, engineers, military police, civil affairs officers, would be deployed in Iraq in late 2009, Middle East Newsline reported. They said AABs would also conduct counter-insurgency missions and protect reconstruction efforts in Iraq.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said the new forces would be among seven brigade-size elements also heading for Afghanistan and Kuwait. Whitman said AABs would support the State Department’s provincial reconstruction teams.

"In addition to standard combat training, they will undergo scenario-based training and mission-readiness exercises designed to prepare them for the complex challenges they will encounter in Iraq," the Pentagon said.

At the same time, three traditionally-configured combat brigades would be sent to Iraq in the fall of 2009 to replace redeploying brigades. Whitman said the rotation would not result in a U.S. military presence of more than 128,000 troops in Iraq.

"Plans remain on track to maintain those levels through the Iraqi elections, and then to gradually draw down the force to between 30,000 and 50,000 by Aug. 31, 2010," Whitman said.

The U.S. Army rotation would also include Kuwait, officials said. About 15,000 U.S. soldiers were said to be serving in Kuwait, conducting training, maintenance and base security missions.

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