Pentagon Extends Marines' Afghan Tours

Gates Also Says 200 More Troops Can Be Shifted From Iraq; Commanders Say Training Afghan Forces Top Priority

(CBS/AP)  The Pentagon has ordered roughly 1,250 Marines serving as trainers for the Afghan security forces to stay on the warfront almost a month longer to continue a mission that military leaders say is a top priority, according to a senior military official.

In addition, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has authorized the deployment of up to 200 other troops to Afghanistan to support the Marines. That includes eight helicopter crews that could be shifted from Iraq if commanders decide.

The senior military official spoke to The Associated Press on Monday on condition of anonymity because the formal announcement has not yet been made.

The decision to extend the tour of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment in Afghanistan comes just a month after defense officials told the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit that it would stay an extra month in Afghanistan.

According to the official, the decision to hold the battalion there longer is part of an effort to capitalize on the gains the Marines have made in the training mission. The extension means that the battalion would return home in late November.

Asked about Gates' decision, Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said the secretary was responding to a request from the commanders.

Gates "is always pained to have to extend tours. He understands the effect that has on the families of our forces, but he also appreciates our commanders' need to make additional progress while the weather is still good in Afghanistan," Morrell said.

Gates' decision to send the other support forces comes after weeks of discussions by top military leaders who scrambled to find needed troops. He authorized Army Lt. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, who is temporarily in charge of U.S. Central Command, to shift up to eight helicopter units from Iraq to Afghanistan - four Cobra attack aircraft and four MH-53 heavy lift helicopters.

The remainder of the support forces being deployed are smaller units, including engineers, route clearance troops and explosive ordnance disposal teams. It was not clear Monday whether those support forces also would return home in late November, or if they would stay longer in Afghanistan.

The Pentagon announced in January that the Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., was being ordered to Afghanistan, largely because efforts to press other NATO nations to increase their troop levels at the time had failed. The MEU has been fighting Taliban militants in the volatile south.

At the same time, the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, which is based at Twentynine Palms, Calif., was ordered to deploy also.

Gates has said he would not replace the Marines with other U.S. troops when they left later this year. But commanders have said they need three more combat brigades - or as many as 10,000 troops - to bolster the fight in Afghanistan. And U.S. officials have indicated they would like to send extra brigades there next year.

Morrell told a news conference on July 23 that the decision on how and when to meet the request for the larger amount of troops was "a question, frankly, for the next administration," which will be chosen in November's presidential election.

Military leaders, however, have made it clear they need to free units from Iraq deployments in order to send more troops to Afghanistan. As security in Iraq continues to improve, officials have suggested that units initially headed for Iraq late this year or early next year could be sent to Afghanistan instead.

[lochlan-2009]

The Pentagon really seems to be trying to get these soldiers killed. If you survived Iraq, soldier, maybe we can kill you in Afghanistan. Like they say, "support our troops" the GOP way... getting them killed. We need our trans-Afghanistan pipeline through Pakistan to India.

[missingamerica]

[...]

I am confident that if Barack is elected he will defer to the men in uniform as well, at least I hope so.

Posted by ProMacLaura at 09:47 AM : Aug 05, 2008

"defer to the men in uniform as well"...

"As well"? That infers that this President was and is capable of listening, and putting aside his desires for fame and fortune for himself and his friends.

So why did this Prez blow off Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric K. Shinseki, who told them they were sending far too few troops into Iraq?

[middleman8]

This is what the country wants and votes for and the troops would re-up for another tour anyway.
Don''t put all the blame on the nut in the W H.

[navyjimfl]

The facts state that 50% of Americans are overweight and 80% of Americans Don''''t vote. Just Fat and Lazy - that''''s what America Stands for these Days - Fat and Lazy and Uneducated Maury watchers. Posted by shado269
Who is Maury?

[clestes-2009]

Just another of the ever worsening bad news from Afghanistan. Been saying this for a year. Afghanistan is by far the more serious, the more dangerous, and the true front of the anti-American hotbed of terrorists.

Iraq was never more than a way in to the middle eas''s wealth of oil, with an eye towards regime change in Iran as well.

As stupid and costly foreign policy mistake as ever was made in our ENTIRE HISTORY. It has robbed the US of our international reputation both as a leader and as a bastion of freedom. It wrecked our military, bankrupted our economy, gave hope to our enemies plus gave them 6 years to regroup, re-arm and bled us f*cking dry.

Afghanistan is going to be a huge problem for years to come, thanks to the fumbling, bumbling, inept and downright stupid decisions of the worse administration to EVER hold office, Geo Dubya Bush!

[superdem]

I was against going into Afghanistan because it is impossible to do anything there other than fail, as many, many armies have done in history. The Soviets had three times the troops we have there, and they failed. We will spend a lot of money and blood there, and fail also, no other outcome is possible. The Afghans will never succumb to any outside invader, the more we kill the more they will resist. There is no shortage of weapons, no shortage of money, and no shortage of religious fervor. We should get out now, leave these people alone, and let them go into the 13th century if they wish. Islamic radicals don''t need a "country" to plan attacks against us, a hotel room will do. We are fooling ourselves if we think we can "succeed" in propping up a pro-American government in Afghanistan.

[promaclaura]

More troops means more body bags...This retardid thug of president should be hanged by his sagging marbles....creepppp


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Posted by shazam112 at 09:10 AM : Aug 05, 2008

Hey I saw your last post last night and got a good laugh, so did my family I shared it with. I think you give way to much credit to President Bush on this one. Political Science teaches us that Presidents are more figureheads than strategy creators. The cabinet of a Prez are the experts and so are the military leaders. Together they bring forward the information and recommendations to the Prez., who reviews this and makes decisions based on expert advice. If Barack is elected he will do the same, nobody should expect him to make decisions based on his own experience, he has even less than GW. I am confident that if Barack is elected he will defer to the men in uniform as well, at least I hope so.

[shazam112]

More troops means more body bags...This retardid thug of president should be hanged by his sagging marbles....creepppp

[marshall_nee]

Couldn''t they just send terrorislamv over instead?

[obama441]

The facts state that 50% of Americans are overweight and 80% of Americans Don''''t vote. Just Fat and Lazy - that''''s what America Stands for these Days - Fat and Lazy and Uneducated...Posted by shado269..yep too busy watching "American idol" fat b.astards!!

[antoniof123]

Boo-hoo-hoo.......you bunch of nosepicking lib whiners. Bush did make a BIG mistake.......not in going to war against terrorism, but in mistakenly believing that our country is the same one that his father fought for in WW2.

You people make real Americans sick to their stomach.

Posted by bigwhtpony at 07:58 AM : Aug 05, 2008

I am going to try to explain something to you but I doubt it will sink in. First of all Americans are not traitors or wrong just because they don''t believe like you. This is what is costing you the elections I for one and sick and tired of the ultra right wing calling my fellow American brothers and sisters traitors or any other foul name. Now that said you can be pretty sure that there are a lot of siwng voters who feel the same.

Good night and good luck.

[woodjd42]

Plain and simple, all our current problems can be traced back to leaders who put the interests of their legacy ahead of our country''''s interests. If you were around in ''''72/''''73 and listened to all the rhetoric espoused, you can fully understand how manipulation and greed are the driving forces in today''''s oil "so-called" supply/demand price gouging.

Not all veterans feel the same about their service to their country for many of them are USED, and then abandoned when they are no longer useful or still in the military. Will 30 days be too long of an extenion for some?


War is big business, where those in charge of making the equipment make BIG bucks, where those in power of decision-making revel in their posts, and those poor soldiers on the field....fight, die, and are forgotten except for their loved ones.



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Posted by panhandlpete

I agree with you for the most part. Look at the companies like Bell helicopter that got rich off Vietnam. Once again it is happening in Iraq. I agreed with going in to afganistan but the only reason to go to Iraq was for companies to get rich.

[panhandlpete]

Plain and simple, all our current problems can be traced back to leaders who put the interests of their legacy ahead of our country''s interests. If you were around in ''72/''73 and listened to all the rhetoric espoused, you can fully understand how manipulation and greed are the driving forces in today''s oil "so-called" supply/demand price gouging.

Not all veterans feel the same about their service to their country for many of them are USED, and then abandoned when they are no longer useful or still in the military. Will 30 days be too long of an extenion for some?


War is big business, where those in charge of making the equipment make BIG bucks, where those in power of decision-making revel in their posts, and those poor soldiers on the field....fight, die, and are forgotten except for their loved ones.

[promaclaura]

Amazing leadership abilities Obama has.

He hasn''''t yet taken over and his policies are being implemented as fast as the GOP can implement them.

Obama is a brilliant, inspirational leader as evidenced by the fact the GOP is doing exactly what he tells them to do.

Posted by tuckerndfw at 02:02 AM : Aug 05, 2008

It is naive to believe that Barack''s policies are being implemented right now. Barack is still running for President and until he is called Commander and Chief, they will simply scoff at his input. I think they value their military leaders opinions far more than anything Barack can say. Do really think they are all sitting on their thumbs right now waiting for Barack''s say-so?

[woodjd42]

Boo-hoo-hoo.......you bunch of nosepicking lib whiners. Bush did make a BIG mistake.......not in going to war against terrorism, but in mistakenly believing that our country is the same one that his father fought for in WW2.

You people make real Americans sick to their stomach.


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Posted by bigwhtpony

Real Americans? There you jerks go again calling me and people like me these BS names.
Listen jerk I earned the right to speak and I earned it by more than just being borned here.
Daddy bush did also serve this country and was a good pres. however son did nothing for this country, he was a coward. Made a mistake? No it was no mistake, it was a lack of caring about the country and its people. bush/chaney only care about themselves and don''t mind destroying anything and everything. They will go down as the worst and most corrupt in the nation''s history.
Also, what have you done to serve this country? Besides being in favor to waste our young men and women.

[bigwhtpony]

Boo-hoo-hoo.......you bunch of nosepicking lib whiners. Bush did make a BIG mistake.......not in going to war against terrorism, but in mistakenly believing that our country is the same one that his father fought for in WW2.

You people make real Americans sick to their stomach.

[promaclaura]

Alot of the posters are puzzling me. I thought that everyone wanted more troops to be deployed to Afghanistan? In recent weeks I read numerous posts about how stupid we were in not doing this. I don''t like that it is happening and feel they are in more danger in Afghanistan''s mountains than in Iraq. Efforts other than man-less planes are now necessary to strengthen the border? I think Pakistan is our worst enemy right now. What wimps, they don''t clear out their radical tribal areas and we get to deal with their pathetic attempts at sabotaging Afghanistan.

[johngoodnews]

History has a way of repeating itself--particularly for the 2/7. Good luck Marines.

[woodjd42]

terrorislamv
And I suppose you think the coward in office now (bush/chaney) are for the military. What a joke. They are for the military only to use for their own personal gain. They sure don''t care a thing about what happens to them after they have used them. Talk about anti-military, bush/chaney are the biggest and most cowardes of all.

[pirmin3]

Bet they''re thrilled about that. Keep sacrificing troops until the GOP can figure some sleazy way to conjure up a so-called "victory" and then Johnny comes marching home. Republicans disgust me.