WASHINGTON - The Pentagon is preparing to send at least 3,000 Marines to Afghanistan in April to bolster efforts to hold off another expected Taliban offensive in the spring, military officials said Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENT The move represents a shift in Pentagon thinking that has been slowly developing after months of repeated insistence that the U.S. was not inclined to fill the need for as many as 7,500 more troops that commanders have asked for there. Instead, Defense Secretary Robert Gates pressed NATO allies to contribute the extra forces. Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said Wednesday that a proposal will go before Gates on Friday that would send a ground and air Marine contingent as well as a Marine battalion — together totaling more than 3,000 forces — to southern Afghanistan for a "one-time, seven-month deployment. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080109/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_afghanistan
Word here in San Diego has been going around for a few weeks. More than likely that the deployable contingent will be out of Camp Pendleton, much of which will be for some, a return visit to the region if not multiple visits. Can’t help but think the unrest in Pakistan has an influence as well.
Yup. This set us in a bit of a frenzy the other day. I guess I'll be going to Afghanistan next Summer/Fall. Mountains are cooler than a desert anyway, though Iraq would've been fun.
