Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has said the U.S. will deploy 217 additional service personnel in Iraq in support of its campaign against the Islamic State militant organization, the Washington Post reported Monday.
Thomas Gibbons-Neff and Missy Ryan write the proposed increase will bring the total number of deployed troops in Iraq to 4,087.
Capt. Jeff Davis, a spokesman for the Defense Department, said Carter announced during his visit to Baghdad, Iraq, that the U.S. will also field Apache helicopters and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems in order to help Iraq forces retake the city of Mosul.
The U.S.’ decision to deploy Apaches and HIMARS seeks to provide Iraqi forces with close air support as well as help them perform long-range strike missions as they move into the city, according to the newspaper.
Davis noted that U.S. advisers will be allowed to join Iraqi troops on the front lines in order to facilitate collaboration with their U.S. counterparts.