Defense Department names units bound for Afghanistan

[unhappycamper]

Defense Department names units bound for Afghanistan
By Jeffrey Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Tuesday, September 16, 2008

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Defense Department has identified the additional forces headed to Afghanistan beginning this fall.

A Marine Air-Ground Task Force with about 2,000 Marines will deploy to Afghanistan in November, followed in January by 3,700 soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division from Fort Drum, N.Y., the DOD announced Monday.

The Marine task force will include the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, as well as air, logistics and headquarters elements, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters Monday.

The task force will replace the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, which has grown from about 1,000 to 1,500 Marines during its deployment, a Defense official said.

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Recently, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, conceded that the U.S. military is not winning in Afghanistan.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=57435