The Department of the Army announced deployments for three brigades rotating this fall to Afghanistan, South Korea and Europe.
The 2nd Infantry Brigade, from 10th Mountain Division out of Fort Drum, New York, will deploy approximately 1,600 personnel to Afghanistan this autumn to support the U.S. commitment to Operation Freedom Sentinel.
The unit is replacing another 10th Mountain unit, the 1st Brigade, as part of a regular rotation of forces to Afghanistan.
Combat involving U.S. forces has trickled off in the country, as the Taliban and the Afghan government have entered into peace talks for the first time.
There were two U.S. soldiers killed in an improvised explosive device attack this January and another two soldiers killed in an insider attack in February, but as a tentative peace agreement emerged, hostile action against U.S. forces trickled off. There have still been six noncombat deaths, such a vehicle rollovers, in Afghanistan in 2020.
The 1st Armored Brigade from 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Georgia, will deploy approximately 3,500 personnel this autumn to the Republic of Korea.
The unit is replacing 1st Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade as part of a regular rotation of forces there.
Finally, the 1st Armored Brigade from 1st Cavalry Division out of Fort Hood, Texas, will deploy approximately 3,500 personnel to Europe.
The unit is replacing 3rd Infantry Division’s 2nd Armored Brigade and will participate in Atlantic Resolve operations alongside NATO allies and partners in the region.
Atlantic Resolve involves a series of exercises that have grown to span multiple countries including the three Baltic states, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria. The mission steadily grew following Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula in 2014.
Kyle Rempfer was an editor and reporter who has covered combat operations, criminal cases, foreign military assistance and training accidents. Before entering journalism, Kyle served in U.S. Air Force Special Tactics and deployed in 2014 to Paktika Province, Afghanistan, and Baghdad, Iraq.
