THE TENSION: Pentagon Announces Units for Upcoming Iraqi Freedom Rotation

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, July 14, 2009 -- The following news release made available Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Defense is the text of a statement announcing units for an upcoming Iraqi Freedom rotation:

The Department of Defense announced today additional major units scheduled to deploy in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The announcement involves three division headquarters and eight brigade combat teams consisting of approximately 30,000 personnel.

These units will replace redeploying units, with no increase in overall force levels. The deployment window for these units will begin in the fall and continue into early 2010.

Specific units receiving deployment orders include:

Headquarters units:
3rd Infantry Division Headquarters, Ft. Stewart, Ga.
1st Infantry Division Headquarters, Ft. Riley, Kan.
1st Armored Division Headquarters, Wiesbaden, Germany
Brigade combat teams:
1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Ft. Bliss, Texas
1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Ft. Drum, N.Y.
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Ft. Drum, N.Y.
Advisory and assistance brigades:
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Ft. Benning, Ga.
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Ft. Stewart, Ga.
1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Ft. Stewart, Ga.
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Ft. Carson, Colo.
Security force brigade:
53rd Brigade Combat Team, Florida Army National Guard
This announcement reflects the continued commitment of the United States to the security of the Iraqi people, and provides replacement forces required to maintain the current level of effort in Iraq. Subsequent deployment orders will be issued based on force level decisions made in the future.

The deployed headquarters units will provide command and control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities in support of security operations in the country.

Three brigade combat teams will replace formations currently on the ground in Iraq. These units will conduct full-spectrum and stability operations from outside Iraq's cities in partnership with Iraqi security forces.

Four brigades will serve in an advisory and assistance role and replace formations currently on the ground in Iraq. The mission of these units will be to train and mentor Iraqi Security Forces, conduct coordinated counter-terrorism missions, and protect on-going civilian and military efforts within Iraq.

The one security force brigade will be assigned tasks which will assure freedom of movement and continuity of operations in country. Those tasks will include base defense and route security in Iraq and Kuwait. This unit was originally announced for deployment to Afghanistan, but was remissioned for deployment to Kuwait shortly after that announcement was made in December 2007.