Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan 4 [OEF-A 4]
US Forces Order of Battle
29 August 2003

This is a "best available" order-of-battle of forces deployed in CENTCOM's part of Central and Southwest Asia, as well as EUCOM forces in Turkey participating in Operation Northern Watch. The amount of publicly available information concerning aircraft types and specific units has diminished to the point that it is no longer possible to provide a high fidelity profile of current deployments. There are evidently significant gaps in unit identifications, as well as non-trivial uncertainties as to numbers of specific types of aircraft. The presence of significant numbers of civilian contractor personnel at various facilities in the region further complicates accounting for total personnel numbers.

Excluding forces deployed in direct support of Operations Iraqi Freedom, there are about 11,000 military personnel in the CENTCOM area of responsibility.

Ground forces include a brigade-sized unit located throughout Afghanistan. Rotations occur every 6 months and take over a month to complete. A name for the rotation has yet to be identified. It is believed that the total Army presence in the region is nearly 9.600 soldiers.

The US Air Force's Expeditionary Air and Space Force (EAF) concept and organization sets a guideline for Air Force deployments to operational locations. The EAF is comprised of 10 Aerospace Expeditionary Forces (AEF) each with lead combat and support wings including on-call wings that could be deployed if required. While deployments for active duty units generally lasts roughly 90-days while Reserve and Guard units deploy typically for 30 - 60 days, though the Air Force's adoption of Blue and Silver rotations from July 2003 until mid-March 2004 have each of these rotations deployed for 120 days each. AEF Silver is currently deployed and will not be relieved until mid-March 2004 at which point AEF 7 and 8 will rotate into the region.

Recent Developments

A brigade rotation is currently underway. 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division has begun deploying to the region. Some 600 soldiers began arriving after the beginning of July. The unit will replace the brigade from the 82nd Airborne.

• A November 23, 2003 press release from the 10th Mountain Division indicates that the 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment is currently deployed Afghanistan.
• The 1-501st Parachute Infantry Regiment deployed to Afghanistan in late October 2003 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The unit will be in the region for six months.
• Information obtained from the Public Affairs Officer for the 10th Mountain Division indicates that the brigade rotation is well underway. Roughly 3,000 soldiers from the division are in Afghanistan, with some 2,500 from the 1st Brigade and another 400 soldiers from the 2nd Brigade providing training to the Afghan Army.
• The 1st Battalion, 504th PIR has not been in Afghanistan for some 6 months. It has been removed from the listings.
• 200 soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Rgt returned to Fort Bragg on July 10, 2003 according to a press release issued by the 82nd Airborne on July 14.
• A photo from late July 2003 indicates that the 104th Fighter Squadron is currently operating from Bagram AB. Unfortunately, it is not clear when Air Force assets are arriving and departing the region, so it is thought that the 81st Fighter Squadron may have departed the area sometime ago.
• A Company, 41st Engineer Battalion has been identified as operating in Afghanistan, as has the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry, and 3rd Squadron of the 17th Cavalry Regiment. All of these units are part of the 10th Mountain Division.
• The 719th Medical Detachment is in Afghanistan. It is a vetinary unit.
• The 527th Engineer Battalion returned to the United States on August 29, 2003 according to the Associated Press on the same date. The first elements to come back numbered roughly 300 soldiers with the remaining 200 soldiers to return with a week of the first detachement. The unit deployed in January.