US Ground Forces End Strength

President Bush's January 2007 announcement of a surge of 21,500 combat troops going into Iraq will bring the number of brigade combat teams or their equivalents up to 20 from 15 by early June 2007. The surge would probably require 7,000 to 8,000 servicemembers serving in support roles. As of 16 March 2007 142,000 US servicemembers were in Iraq, and by late May or early June 2007, there would be more than 162,000. By September 2007 total US troop strength in-country had reached 168,000. On 13 September 2007 President Bush announced plans under which 5,700 US troops would bewithdrawn by Christmas 2007. At that time, he said that four combat brigades [of at least 21,500 troops] along with other support forces would return by July 2008. The President said that when these withdrawals were completed, about 132,000 US troops would remain in Iraq. In point of fact, this did not happen, and by end of 2008 some 146,000 US troops remained in Iraq. President O'bama promised to remove American combat troops from Iraq within 16 months of his innauguration, that is, to remove one combat Brigade per month. Each brigade would amount to some 5,000 troops, implying the presence of some 65,000 support troops in country by mid-2010.

		In Country	In Theater
2003	March	0	175,000
	April	92,000	83,000
	May	142,500	30,000
	June	146,250	30,000
	July	148,750	30,000
	August	142,500	30,000
	September	130,000	30,000
	October	137,500	30,000
	November	130,000	30,000
	December	122,500	30,000
2004	January	125,000	30,000
	February	108,000	30,000
	March	117,500	30,000
	April	130,000	30,000
	May	140,000	30,000
	June	142,500	30,000
	July	137,500	30,000
	August	145,000	30,000
	September	130,000	30,000
	October	136,000	30,000
	November	142,500	30,000
	December	153,000	30,000
2005	January	150,000	30,000
	February	145,000	30,000
	March	138,500	30,000
	April	138,000	30,000
	May	138,000	30,000
	June	138,000	30,000
	July	138,000	30,000
	August	138,000	30,000
	September	145,000	30,000
	October	155,000	30,000
	November	160,000	30,000
	December	160,000	30,000
2006	January	155,000	30,000
	February	138,000	30,000
	March	138,000	30,000
	April	138,000	30,000
	May	133,000	35,000
	June	127,000	35,000
	July	127,000	35,000
	August	138,000	35,000
	September	138,000	35,000
	October	138,000	35,000
	November	152,000	35,000
	December	140,000	35,000
2007	January	132,000	30,000
	February	137,000	30,000
	March	142,000	30,000
	April	150,000	30,000
	May	155,000	30,000
	June	162,000	30,000
	July	164,000	30,000
	August	166,000	30,000
	September	168,000	30,000
	October	168,000	30,000
	November	168,000	30,000
	December	160,000	30,000
2008	January	160,000	30,000
	February	155,000	30,000
	March	155,000	30,000
	April	155,000	30,000
	May	155,000	30,000
	June	155,000	30,000
	July	150,000	30,000
	August	150,000	30,000
	September	150,000	30,000
	October	150,000	30,000
	November	150,000	30,000
	December	146,000	30,000
2009	January	145,000	30,000
	February	145,000	30,000
	March	145,000	30,000
	April	140,000	30,000
	May	135,000	30,000
	June	130,000	30,000
	July	125,000	30,000
	August	120,000	30,000
	September	115,000	30,000
	October	110,000	30,000
	November	105,000	30,000
	December	100,000	30,000
2010	January	95,000	30,000
	February	98,000	30,000
	March	98,000	30,000
	April	90,000	30,000
	May	80,000	30,000
	June	70,000	30,000
	July	60,000	30,000
	August	50,000	30,000
	September	50,000	30,000
	October	50,000	30,000
	November	50,000	30,000
	December	50,000	30,000
2011	January	50,000	30,000
	February	50,000	30,000
	March	50,000	30,000
	April	50,000	30,000
	May	50,000	30,000
	June	50,000	30,000
	July	50,000	30,000
	August	50,000	30,000
	September	50,000	30,000
	October	43,000	30,000
	November	30,000	30,000
	December	200	30,000