The U.S. is planning to deploy 400 troops to help train the Syrian opposition that is fighting Islamic extremists.
Military Times reported that the soldiers will most likely be sent to Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, where they will help instruct moderate Syrian rebels. Reuters explained that the mission, which will begin in the spring, is a crucial part of the U.S. response to the religious militants, in addition to subjecting them to airstrikes. The $500 million initiative is expected to help train 5,000 people over the next year. Experts at the Pentagon believe that in order to fully reclaim the portion of eastern Syria currently controlled by the jihadists, roughly 15,000 soldiers will need to be trained.
In addition to the 400 training servicemembers, the U.S. will send 3,000 troops to Iraq, just across the border from Syria. These soldiers will be advising and training Kurdish and Iraqi recruits, explained Military Times. They will join the 2,100 American troops currently stationed in Iraq.
"This is going to be hard. We have to recruit the guys, we have to assume that there are a lot of guys who are recruitable, there's got to be some vetting. This is not going to be an easy enterprise here," an unidentified senior defense official told Defense One.