Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan [OEF-A]
US Forces Order of Battle
January 2009

These orders of battle represent a "best available" order-of-battle of forces deployed in CENTCOM's part of Central Asia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. The amount of publicly available information concerning aircraft types and specific units makes it difficult to provide a high fidelity profile of deployments "current" to the stated timeframe of the order of battle. There are likely 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.

Recent Developments

In December 2008, the 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the Illinois National Guard replaced the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the New York National Guard as the lead element for Combined Joint Task Force Pheonix VIII in Regional Command (South). Also in RC(S) was a Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF), the Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force - Afghanistan, which had been formed in November 2008. The SPMAGTF-A replaced the elements of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which had previously been deployed to Afghanistan as theater tactical force, and subsequently assigned to Regional Command (South) to help the United Kingdom's Task Force Helmand. Like the 24th MEU, the SPMAGTF-A operated in support of both ISAF and Operation Enduring Freedom.

The 45th Sustainment Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, was in the process of deploying to Afghanistan during January 2009. There had not been an official transfer of authority, and therefore no task force name had been adopted. They took up the role as the lead element of the Joint Logistics Command.

Task Force Wasatch, 142nd Military Intelligence Battalion, 300th Military Intelligence Brigade (Linguist), was in the process of redeploying to the United States during the end of January 2009 and the beginning of February 2009. The replacement unit for the 142nd Military Intelligence Battalion had not been announced.

In January 2009, elements of the 7th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, part of the 159th Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division formed Task Force Pale Horse and replaced Task Force Out Front, made up of elements of the 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, part of the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. Other US Army aviation task forces in country remained the same as of February 2009.