{"id":47422,"date":"2017-12-24T15:28:03","date_gmt":"2017-12-24T15:28:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2017\/12\/24\/new-in-2018-us-troops-return-to-the-front-lines-in-afghanistan\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T03:37:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T03:37:07","slug":"new-in-2018-us-troops-return-to-the-front-lines-in-afghanistan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/flashpoints\/2017\/12\/24\/new-in-2018-us-troops-return-to-the-front-lines-in-afghanistan\/","title":{"rendered":"New in 2018: US troops return to the front lines in Afghanistan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

More American troops will once again be on the front lines embedded with Afghan troops helping push back Taliban gains, according to Gen. John Nicholson, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In what appears to be a bit of deja vu for America\u2019s longest war, U.S. troops will once again be patrolling alongside their Afghan counterparts in far larger numbers and at a more tactical level than the past several years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are \u201cwell over 1,000 advisers out at any given time,\u201d Nicholson said. \u201cNext year, however, this will increase dramatically.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This coming spring will also see the first ever deployment of the Army\u2019s 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade, a new unit tasked with training and advising partner nation forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nicholson\u2019s strategy for Afghanistan requires putting more U.S. advisers closer to the front lines with Afghan forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\t