The U.S. Air Force is deploying 1,000 forces to Iraq from Spangdahlem air base in Germany, a base official said Thursday. The forces are elements of the 52nd Fighter Wing, said Air Force Colonel Dave Goldfein. The troop re-assignment comes amid a realignment of U.S. forces abroad that includes possible base reductions or closures in Germany. But Goldfein said the re-assignment should not be taken as a sign to indicate that Spangdahlem was being closed. "At the moment, however, it is impossible to say what the future holds and what sort of forces will be stationed here," he said. The base in the Rhineland region of western Germany has about 5,000 personnel.
