Commandant Conway: More Marines to Afghanistan to 'train' forces

U.S. Marines conduct a winter mounted patrol in the Khowst-Gardez Pass in Afghanistan

Marines likely won’t be headed to Afghanistan in force, despite the growing combat levels there, according to the Corps’ top commander. But the service does plan to send more small teams to train Afghan forces.

“I do not see more involvement at this point in Afghanistan,” Commandant Gen. James Conway said Wednesday at a breakfast with reporters in Washington, D.C. He quickly added, “Never say never, because the requirements there are tending to grow.”

The Corps is stretched thin with constant combat deployments in Iraq and would face an equipment issue in Afghanistan, he said.

“We would have to deploy entire battalion sets there, whereas the Army there now is pretty much able to fall in on Army equipment that’s there.”

Read the rest at the Marine Corps Times

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