A Battlefield Tourist

US Carrier Moving to Support Troops in Afghanistan

Jul 8 at 12:12pm by David Tate

In an effort to bolster its firepower in Afghanistan, the US military said July 7th, the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln is now in position to do just that.

The news, first reported by NBC and now CNN, is a continuing sign of US military forces ratcheting up involvement in Afghanistan.

The Abraham Lincoln, which had been supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, will be based in the Gulf of Oman where its F-18A fighter/bombers will have access to southern Afghanistan, and beyond, via overflights of Pakistan.

The move follows remarks last week by US Defense Secretary Robert Gates showing great concern over the rise in violence seven years into the Afghan war.

In April, a “one-time” surge of 2,200 US Marines landed in southern Afghanistan after a year of near-hollow wrangling to get the international community to send more troops to the fledgling government’s aid.  That unit, the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, was extended 30 more days July 3rd.

In June, President Bush announced his intentions to bolster US ground forces in Afghanistan by two Regimental Combat Teams before July 2009.  That move would increase US ground forces in that central asian country to roughly 40,000, up from the present level of 31,000.  However, in a speech last week, the president acknowledged the tough time in Afghanistan, suggesting more troops could be in country by the end of the year.