Soldiers in Kuwait to serve as a response force
About 15,000 U.S. soldiers who are currently deployed to Kuwait will remain in the country for the time being, according to to Army officials quoted in an Army Times report Saturday.
The exact number of troops and their makeup are details that are still being negotiated by the U.S. and Kuwaiti authorities.
Two months ago, the Kuwaiti defense minister was quoted as saying U.S. forces would only use his nation as a staging point. Now it appears that is likely to change, with the United States maintaining a force capable of responding to various contingencies should the need arise.
As of last week, the U.S. contingent consisted of soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas, and the 34th Infantry Division of the Minnesota National Guard, among others. Both belong to the 1st Brigade Combat Team. Also in the mix is the 29th Combat Aviation Brigade of the Maryland National Guard.
A spokeswoman for the brigade was quoted in the Army Times story as saying the combat team would serve as a response force for U.S. Central Command.
