U.S. troops patrol an Afghan village. “We know this will be a challenging assignment,” a military spokesman said. “The Taliban are an adaptive enemy force.” David Guttenfelder / Associated PressFrom The L.A. Times:
Most of the 17,000 combat troops ordered by Obama will be in place by mid-July -- nearly all of them in southern Afghanistan, the heartland of the Taliban insurgency.
Reporting from Kandahar, Afghanistan -- It was the moment every commander dreads most: when a new deployment claims its first casualty.
"It tears you up every time," said Army Col. Paul Bricker, recounting the death of one of his most experienced pilots, whose Apache helicopter crashed in the southern Afghan desert on May 22, just days after the start of his tour.
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My Comment: This U.S. surge into Afghanistan is still far less than what commanders on the ground have requested. Still .... this summer is going to be a break or make year for the Afghan Government and their U.S. allies.Expect heavy casualties and fatalities this summer.