1 Brigade and 1 Battalion
ISTANBUL – It’s 10 p.m. in the lowest level of the Istanbul airport. In 20 minutes I’ll be allowed to board my plane to Kabul, bringing me to the
Jul 31, 2020125.1K Shares3.6M Views
ISTANBUL – It’s 10 p.m. in the lowest level of the Istanbul airport. In 20 minutes I’ll be allowed to board my plane to Kabul, bringing me to the capitol city of Afghanistan at the crack of dawn. Before I made my way down to the gate, an International Herald-Tribune headline caught my eye, for admittedly parochial reasons. It read: Pentagon Urges Shift Of Troops From Iraq.
Finally, I thought, a sign that the service chiefs and their staffs recognize what Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen has said -– that after waging two simultaneous wars for nearly six years, Iraq and Afghanistan truly are a zero-sum resource question.
But that doesn’t actually cash out to much, according to the IHT.
Apparently Gen. David Petraeus, outgoing commander of the Iraq war, incoming commander of all U.S. forces in the Middle East and South Asia, will recommend that just one Army brigade — about 3,500 soldiers — should leave Iraq and its equivalent arrive in Afghanistan. A single Marine battalion — around 1,000 to 1,500 Marines — slated for Iraq should instead go to Afghanistan.
While 5,000 more soldiers and Marines for Afghanistan isn’t nothing, that’s a third of what U.S. commanders in Afghanistan desire. In another day, I should know what troops in Afghanistan think of the size of that increase.
Dexter Cooke
Reviewer
Dexter Cooke is an economist, marketing strategist, and orthopedic surgeon with over 20 years of experience crafting compelling narratives that resonate worldwide.
He holds a Journalism degree from Columbia University, an Economics background from Yale University, and a medical degree with a postdoctoral fellowship in orthopedic medicine from the Medical University of South Carolina.
Dexter’s insights into media, economics, and marketing shine through his prolific contributions to respected publications and advisory roles for influential organizations.
As an orthopedic surgeon specializing in minimally invasive knee replacement surgery and laparoscopic procedures, Dexter prioritizes patient care above all.
Outside his professional pursuits, Dexter enjoys collecting vintage watches, studying ancient civilizations, learning about astronomy, and participating in charity runs.
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