Operation Enduring Freedom - Order of Battle
Prior to the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, US Central Command had an operating strength in the region that varried between 20,000 to 25,000 troops on any given day. As of late February 2002 CENTCOM had about 60,000 troops, with about 5,000 actually in Afghanistan.
As of 8 November 2001 it was reported that more than 50,000 American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines were deployed across an area stretching from the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean. About half the total American force were aboard naval ships operating in the northern Arabian Sea. Approximately 3,000 American personnel were said to be in Oman, including soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. Another 1,500 to 2,000 Americans, including soldiers from the Army's 10th Mountain Division, as well as Special Operations Forces, were reportedly based at a former Soviet air base in Uzbekistan.
By early January 2002 it was reported that the total number of US ground forces deployed in Afghanistan had grown to nearly 4,000 troops. By late January 2002 the total number of US troops in Afghanistan was reportedly over 4,000, including conventional forces to protect bases, along with engineers, forensic experts and interrogators. By August 2002 there were about 8,000 US troops in Afghanistan.
By the end of September 2001, almost the entire active duty C-5 and C-17 fleet, a total of about 140 aircraft, was dedicated to supporting the war effort. As of 8 November 2001 it was reported that a total of 400 American aircraft were deployed, including reconnaissance, transport and tanker aircraft. However, this number also included the aircraft patrolling the southern and northern "no fly" zones over Iraq. The total number of aircraft involved in the war by early November 2001 was nearly 500, including reconnaissance and other support aircraft from Britain, Canada, Australia and France. KC-10 and KC-135 tankers were primarily concentrated in several orbits over south-western Pakistan, flying from bases in Diego Garcia, Oman, Bahrain, and elsewhere in Southwest Asia. Approximately 14,000 Air Force personnel were committed to the war in Afghanistan.
France had 2,000 military personnel in the region as of early November 2001. Japan, Germany, Italy and New Zealand had pledged to deploy ships and troops if needed. Turkey and Australia announced that special operations forces would be deployed. Italy announced in early November 2001 that ships and aircraft, and up to 3,000 military personnel, would be deployed. The 3,900 Germans planned on deployment would include some 100 special operations troops. Turkey committed 90 special forces troops and was prepared to send a peacekeeping force numbering about 3,000 if needed. By January 2002 special operations forces from Australia, Britain, France, Denmark, Germany and Turkey were on the ground in Afghanistan.
As of early March 2002 more than 17,000 coalition military personnel from 17 countries had deployed in the region since October 2001. A smaller number of these were actually operating in Afghanistan.
The Indian Ocean area between Pakistan and Kenya was patrolled by about 100 ships, 40 American and 60 allied, reputedly the largest international naval task force assembled since World War II. Press reports detailing these deployments enumerated only about 50 vessels from countries other than the United States. Naval forces included ships from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Japan and the Netherlands.
A Hungarian Army reconnaissance battalion was set to deploy to Kabul in the late July/August 2004 period for a period of 6 months. Spain announced on 1 July 2004, that, for the Afghan elections, it would temporarily increase its troops contribution to 1,040 from 475 before reducing it to 540 near the end of the year.
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