The Army Department has deployed 400 soldiers from the Fort Campbell, Kentucky-based 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division to Iraq for Operation Inherent Resolve.The service branch said Friday the newest batch will join approximately 1,300 previously deployed soldiers from the same unit as part of President Barack Obama’s plans to increase authorized troop levels in Iraq.
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced in April that the U.S. aims to deploy 217 additional troops to Iraq in support of counterterrorism efforts against the Islamic State militant organization.
Lt. Col. Eric Lopez, 2nd Brigade Combat Team provisional brigade commander, said the soldiers are called the Strike Ready Force and that they were trained to maintain deployment readiness.
