Two Army Battalions Heading for Iraq
The United States will send 1,500 airborne troops from North Carolina to Iraq as part of a plan to bolster security for voting in October and December, the Pentagon said Wednesday.
The two battalions of troops from the 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg are expected to depart this month on a 120-day deployment.
There are 138,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.
That total could temporarily rise to 160,000 for the balloting. Thousands of soldiers who are scheduled to return home are expected to be kept in place in Iraq after their replacements arrive, defense officials said.
Insurgent attacks are expected to increase before a referendum on the new Iraqi constitution planned for mid-October and a parliamentary election in December.
The Pentagon is expected to announce soon which units will be designated to extend their tours for several months to help Iraqi forces provide security during the votes.
The Pentagon said Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld had approved a troop request from Army Gen. George W. Casey, the top U.S. military officer in Iraq.
The United States also sharply boosted its troop levels in Iraq in advance of the Jan. 30 election, then drew them back down to 138,000.
A battalion of U.S. airborne troops has also been sent to Afghanistan to improve security for an election in that country next month.
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