Fact Sheet: Quick Facts About U.S. Military Operations in Afghanistan

[G_j]

http://www.nationalpriorities.org/2009/09/02/quick-facts-US-military-operations-Afghanistan

Fact Sheet: Quick Facts About U.S. Military Operations in Afghanistan


Inside, you will find:

U.S. Troop Levels in Afghanistan historical data
Annual Funding for U.S. Combat Operations in Afghanistan
Figures of U.S. Military Fatalities in Afghanistan
Link to NPP's Cost of War counter
Additional Resources

The Obama Administration is in the process of preparing a set of benchmarks which will be used to gauge the progress of U.S. military and civilian operations in Afghanistan. Ordered by Congress, the benchmarks are due by September 24. In addition, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, has just released an interim assessment of the situation in the region. It has been widely reported that as a result of this assessment, Gen. McChrystal may request that as many as 45,000 additional U.S. troops be sent to Afghanistan.

The following are quick facts about the U.S. commitment to Afghanistan to date. We hope they are useful to you to you as you follow this issue.

U.S. Troop Levels in Afghanistan
Fiscal Year Troops
2001 N/A
2002 5,200
2003 10,400
2004 15,200
2005 19,100
2006 20,400
2007 23,700
2008 30,100
2009 50,700*


* Current Troop Levels - There are roughly 62,000 U.S. troops currently in Afghanistan. This number is expected to grow to at least 68,000 by December.



NOTE: The Defense Department reports troop levels involved in military operations in several ways. The figures shown here are taken from the Pentagon's Boots on the Ground (BOG) reports to Congress. They reflect only personnel located in Afghanistan and do NOT include other personnel deployed as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, such as those providing logistical support in neighboring countries,

Source: Troop Levels in the Afghan and Iraq Wars, FY2001-FY2012: Cost and Other Potential Issues,Congressional Research Service Report R40682, July 2, 2009
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R40682.pdf

Annual Funding for U.S. Combat Operations in Afghanistan
Fiscal Year $ in Billions
2001 N/A
2002* 20.8
2003 14.7
2004 14.5
2005 20
2006 19
2007 36.9
2008 42.1
2009 60.2
TOTAL 228.2


NOTE: 2002 figure includes both FY 2001 and 2002 funding. The source gave only the total and did not break out funding for each year.



Source: The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11,
Congressional Research Service Report RL33110, May 15, 2009
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL33110.pdf

U.S. Military Fatalities in Afghanistan
Year U.S. Fatalities
2001 12
2002 49
2003 48
2004 52
2005 99
2006 98
2007 117
2008 155
2009 239*
TOTAL 813


*NOTE: As of October 6, 2009



Source: Icasualties at http://icasualties.org

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. Adds up to quagmire to my eyes.

The same set of figures for the Viet Nam War from 64 to 75 would follow a similar pattern.
Afghanistan is nearing the record for the longest war in our history. 'Nam was 11 years.

[G_j]

4. French involvement started earlier,

and US 'special forces'/CIA were there earlier.

America's 'official' front-line troop involvement was from March 1965 until March 1973 (8 years). However really the war started when Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam independent on September 2 1945 and finished with the fall of Saigon on April 30 1975 (30 years 8 months). The 10,000 Day war.

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. But....we now have "our freedoms" in Viet Nam,

so I guess it was worth it. :sarcasm:

22 Dec 61 - SP4 James Davis of Livingston, Tennessee killed by Viet Cong (VC) later called by President Johnson "The first American to fall in defense of our freedom in Vietnam"

come to think of it, does Viet Nam have the same kind of health care our Congress people do???

[G_j]

6. pre-existing conditions of agent orange exposure

don't think so.. :-(

[tekisui]

2. Damn, the first 8 years were just getting started.

What a waste. OUT NOW!

[stuball111]

3. Wow!

228 billion? just think of how much health care that would provide here at home! Funny how the GOP demands that Health Care reform not add to the deficit, but we can spend as much as we want blowing up civilians. And the death toll is just Americans, what about the other NATO troops and civilians? Add that to the death toll, and it's much higher.

[G_j]

7. not even on the table nt