The Pentagon announced Wednesday that a combat brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, will deploy to Afghanistan late this year as part of the next rotation of forces. The deployment, to include the 82nd Airborne headquarters staff and various unidentified support units, will total about 11,000 soldiers, the Pentagon said. The announcement gave no indication that this would represent either an increase or a decrease in U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan, which currently stand at about 22,000. At a Pentagon news conference, Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that based on his visit last week to Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan he is optimistic about progress there. Regarding troops levels, Pace was quoted as saying by the Associated Press, "The U.S. contribution has stayed stable and will remain stable."
