{"id":30536,"date":"2017-11-08T19:46:22","date_gmt":"2017-11-08T19:46:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2017\/11\/08\/us-could-have-almost-16000-troops-in-afghanistan-next-year\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T06:43:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T06:43:35","slug":"us-could-have-almost-16000-troops-in-afghanistan-next-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2017\/11\/08\/us-could-have-almost-16000-troops-in-afghanistan-next-year\/","title":{"rendered":"US could have almost 16,000 troops in Afghanistan next year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BRUSSELS \u2014 The expected deployment of hundreds more U.S. Army trainers to Afghanistan early next year will probably increase the total number of American forces there to almost 16,000, according to U.S. officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At least 15,000 U.S. forces are in Afghanistan, after President Donald Trump decided to send about 3,800 troops to the country this fall to strengthen efforts to advise Afghan forces and conduct counterterrorism missions. All those extra troops are already in the country, U.S. defense officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Army\u2019s new security force assistance brigade is being built and trained at Fort Benning, Georgia, and will head to Afghanistan early next year. Senior U.S. defense officials cited ongoing discussions about whether other American forces would leave when the training unit arrives or whether the trainers would add to the U.S. military footprint already there.<\/p>\n\n\n\t