WASHINGTON (AP) – Fort Campbell soldiers hoping to be finished in Afghanistan by the end of the year will stay on longer.
President Barack Obama announced the U.S. will keep just under 10,000 troops in Afghanistan through the end of 2015 at the request of Afghanistan’s new president, Ashraf Ghani.
(AFGHANISTAN: U.S. President Barack Obama (R) and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani addres a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington March 24. PHOTO: Associated Press/Gary Cameron)
Obama says Afghanistan “remains a dangerous place” and it’s important to maintain security cooperation between the two countries.
Obama had planned to cut the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to about 5,500 by the end of the year.
Last month it was announced that 700 troops of the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Campbell will be headed to Afghanistan this spring.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.