June 6, 2014

On May 27, President Obama announced plans to continue the drawdown of American forces in Afghanistan.                                                                                            

Of more than 33,000 troops currently deployed in Afghanistan, only 9,800 will remain in 2015.   

Roughly half of that number will remain in 2016, and by the beginning of 2017 U.S. forces will be reduced to an embassy presence only.   

“This new chapter in American foreign policy will allow us to redirect some of the resources saved by ending these wars to respond more nimbly to the changing threat of terrorism while addressing a broader set of priorities around the globe,” President Obama said.  

Proposed U.S. force levels in 2015 are less than 10 percent of the 2011 surge peak, and they match closely with the requests from U.S. senior military leaders in Afghanistan.   

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel indicated this proposal will allow the remaining troops in Afghanistan to carry out operations and train the Afghan military to prepare them for the eventual U.S withdrawal.   

U.S. forces in Afghanistan beyond 2014 hinge on the Afghan government agreeing to renew a Status of Forces Agreement with the U.S. A failure to renew such an agreement led to an abrupt withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq in late 2011.   

After 13 years of war the eventual removal of combat troops from Afghanistan is now firmly on the horizon. MOAA will continue efforts to ensure troops serving abroad and returning home receive adequate healthcare, dwell time, and support as they transition out of a wartime environment.