1,300 troops leave Indiana for Afghanistan

About 1,300 troops from more than 30 states are intermittently being sent to Afghanistan this month to serve nine-to-12 month long missions.

Troops from the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force make their first stop at Camp Atterbury, a mobilization and training base southeast of Indianapolis.

They engage in a three-month training program, after which they are deployed overseas.

Reconstruction and development efforts will be the focus of many of the troops leaving Camp Atterbury.

The troops are members of the Provincial Reconstruction Team and will be split up into 13 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces.

A number of the troops have degrees in higher education such as biology and agriculture, said Media Relations Officer Lt. Jessica Halladay.

They will be teaming up with various civilian organizations to assist them and provide security.

Various mobilization bases around the country are shutting down due to current troop withdrawals from Iraq, Halladay said. Camp Atterbury is one of the nation’s bases that is staying open.

President Barack Obama first announced an increase of 30,000 troops to Afghanistan at United States Military Academy at West Point in December.

“They’ll increase our ability to train competent Afghan security forces and to partner with them so that more Afghans can get into the fight,” Obama said. “And they will help create the conditions for the United States to transfer responsibility to the Afghans.”

The troops leaving Camp Atterbury will be a part of that initiative.

“Everybody is actively involved in training,” Halladay said. “Our job is to make sure that our soldiers are ready for what they’re going to face.”