Troop Levels in Afghanistan at All-Time High
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
BAGRAM, Afghanistan — The 101st Airborne Division took command of American forces in eastern Afghanistan yesterday, helping to boost American troop levels in the country to their highest number since the 2001 invasion. Marching in step, paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne retired the unit’s flag during a ceremony under a light rain beside the main runway at Bagram Air Field. Then 101st paratroopers unfurled their flag, marking the start of their tour.
The 101st has 7,200 troops in Afghanistan, several hundred more than the 82nd. Its arrival, coupled with the deployment of some 3,500 Marines to the country’s south, has pushed the total number of American troops in Afghanistan to over 32,000, part of a steady rise in force levels as violence has increased over the last two years. The top American commander in Afghanistan has requested three more brigades and the Pentagon has promised that more troops will be sent next year.
