As about 250 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division prepare to deploy in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, the military continues to work to identify who might go to Iraq next as part of a 1,500-troop increase authorized in early November by President Obama.

The 250 soldiers from 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne, of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, will begin deploying to Iraq in late December.

Their deployment, announced Dec. 1, is not part of the 1,500-troop increase authorized Nov. 7 by Obama.

Instead, they will deploy to Iraq to conduct security operations, reportedly to relieve troops who are currently in theater. The paratroopers are slated to deploy for a nine-month tour.

"The 1st Battalion, 505th PIR is a well-led and highly trained unit with extremely talented and adaptable paratroopers," said Col. Curtis Buzzard, the brigade commander, in a statement. "I know they are ready for any contingency and am confident they will accomplish the mission."

There are about 1,600 U.S. troops currently in Iraq as the U.S. steps up its fight against the Islamic State.

The 1,500-troop increase will almost double the number of troops already in Iraq, which includes the 1st Infantry Division headquarters, which took command in theater Oct. 31.

"The sourcing hasn't been identified for all of the 1,500 military personnel," said Navy Cmdr. Elissa Smith, a spokeswoman for the Defense Department, in an e-mail to Army Times. "However, as a bridging solution until these troops are sourced from U.S. and coalition sources, [the commander of] U.S. Central Command has given direction to move troops from around the CENTCOM area of responsibility into Iraq."

These troops are from the 1st Infantry Division and the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force who are already in the CENTCOM area of operations, Smith said.

About 170 troops will stand up four building partner capacity sites, the first two of which will be in Anbar province and near Baghdad, she said.

These BPC sites are to accommodate the training of 12 Iraqi and Peshmerga brigades.

In addition, 40 troops are tasked with the advise and assist mission in Iraq, she said.

When the 1,500 troops are in place, it's expected that about 630 of them will be tasked with the advise and assist mission, to include enablers in areas such as logistics, command and control, and intelligence support. The other 870 will be tasked with the building partner capacity mission, Smith said.

About 250 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division will deploy in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, officials announced Monday.

The soldiers from 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, will begin deploying in late December.

They will deploy for nine months to the Central Command area of responsibility to conduct security operations.

"The 1st Battalion, 505th PIR is a well-led and highly trained unit with extremely talented and adaptable paratroopers," said Col. Curtis Buzzard, the brigade commander, in a statement. "I know they are ready for any contingency and am confident they will accomplish the mission."

The paratroopers from 1st Battalion are deploying to replace XXX, who have been in the area of operations since XXX.

The soldiers are not part of the 1,500-troop increase authorized Nov. 7 by President Obama.

That increase almost doubles the number of troops already in Iraq, including the 1st Infantry Division headquarters, which took command in theater Oct. 31.

The military has not provided details on the 1,500-troop increase, including who or what types of troops might deploy.

These troops will deploy in "a non-combat role to train, advise and assist Iraqi Security Forces, including Kurdish forces," according to the White House announcement Nov. 7.

With these additional troops,CENTCOM

U.S. Central Command will establish two expeditionary advise and assist operations centers in locations outside Baghdad and Erbil. The centers will provide support for the Iraqis at the brigade headquarters level and above, and they will be supported by an appropriate array of force protection capabilities, officials have said.

CENTCOM also will establish "several sites" across Iraq to accommodate the training of 12 Iraqi brigades — nine Iraqi army and threeP

peshmerga brigades.

The locations, which have not been finalized, will be in northern, western and southern Iraq, officials have said.

About Michelle Tan

Michelle Tan is the editor of Army Times and Air Force Times. She has covered the military for Military Times since 2005, and has embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Haiti, Gabon and the Horn of Africa.

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