Order Code RS22449
Updated January 11, 2007
U.S. Forces in Iraq
JoAnne O’Bryant and Michael Waterhouse
Information Research Specialists
Knowledge Services Group
Summary
Varying media estimates of military forces in Iraq have raised concerns about the
actual number of troops deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). As interest in troop
level deployments continue, recently, President Bush announced “a new strategy for
Iraq” on January 10, 2007, including a planned gradual increase of more than 20,000
U.S. troops on the ground in Baghdad and Anbar province in the coming several
months. This report provides solely Department of Defense (DOD) statistical
information on U.S. forces serving in Iraq. It also provides brief official information on
the military units scheduled for the next rotation of duty into Iraq. As of January 1,
2007, according to DOD, the United States had 128,569 troops stationed in Iraq —
106,296 active component and 22,273 National Guard or Reserves. For security
reasons, DOD does not routinely report the composition, size, or specific destination of
military forces deployed to the Persian Gulf. This report will be updated upon receipt
of new DOD data. For additional information on U.S. forces, see CRS Report RL31701,
Iraq: U.S. Military Operations, by Steve Bowman.
Force Levels
As of January 1, 2007, according to Department of Defense (DOD), the United
States had 128,569 military personnel deployed in Iraq. Of these, 106,296 were active
component personnel and 22,273 were National Guard and Reserves. Figures 1 and 2
provide the distribution by armed service of active component personnel. These totals do
not include 12,000 military support personnel in Kuwait, nor naval personnel aboard ships
patrolling through the Persian Gulf.1
Amid concerns about U.S. troop levels, in a January 10, 2007 address to the nation,
President Bush announced an increase of more than 20,000 U.S. troops to be deployed to
Iraq during the next several months as part of a new initiative in ongoing efforts to
stabilize the security situation. As announced, these forces will primarily be deployed to
1 DOD Fact Sheet, Global Commitments, Jan. 9, 2007.

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Baghdad and Anbar province, the major current areas of unrest and conflict in Iraq. These
additional force levels will be accomplished primarily by a stepped-up pace of military
unit rotations into Iraq and a delay for some personnel departures from that country.
These forces will be added to the personnel stationed in Iraq, as reported by DOD on
January 1, 2007. Additional deployment information is available from DOD’s Directorate
for Information Operations, which posts quarterly reports on casualties and worldwide
active duty military personnel deployments by region and country.
[http://siadapp.dior.whs.mil/personnel/MILITARY/Miltop.htm]
Figure 1. Active Component Personnel in Iraq
(as of January 1, 2007)
72,598
80,000
70,000
60,000
50,000
40,000
21,554
30,000
8,591
20,000
3,553
10,000
0
Army
Air Force
Navy
Marine
Corps
Source: Department of Defense, Office of Joints Chiefs of Staff, “Boots on Ground” data.
Figure 2. Reserve Component Personnel in Iraq
(as of January 1, 2007)
Army NG
13,508
1,110
Air NG
5,600
Army Rv
412
Air Rv
639
Navy Rv
1,004
Marines Rv
-
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
Source: Department of Defense, Office of Joints Chiefs of Staff, “Boots on Ground” data.

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Comparative Operation Iraqi Freedom U.S. Force Levels. Overall U.S.
force levels in Iraq have been declining since 2005, particularly the Reserve Component.
Based on DOD statistics, Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 provide comparative data on both active
and reserve component force levels. DOD officials have declined to project the timing or
size of future force reductions, noting these will depend upon the security situation within
Iraq.
Figure 3. OIF Active Component Force Levels (Feb 2006/Jan 2007)
75,472
80,000
72,598
Feb-06
Jan-07
70,000
60,000
50,000
40,000
23,514
30,000
21,554
8,906
20,000
8,591
10,000
2,858
3,553
0
Army
Navy
AF
MC
Source: Department of Defense, Office of Joints Chiefs of Staff, “Boots on Ground” data.
Figure 4. OIF Reserve Component Force Levels (Feb 2006/Jan 2007)
16,898
18,000
16,000
Feb-06
Jan-07
13,508
14,000
12,000
10,000
8,000
5,981 5,600
6,000
4,000
1,212
1,608
1,110
1,004
2,000
261 412
655
639
0
Army NG
Air NG
Army Rv
AF Rv
Navy Rv
Marine Rv
Source: Department of Defense, Office of Joints Chiefs of Staff, “Boots on Ground” data.

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Figure 5. Comparative U.S. Force Level in Iraq
(Nov 2005-Dec 2006)
157,982
160,000
147,796
137,365
139,421
133,718
130,231
140,000
128,789 131,057
120,000
100,000
80,000
60,000
40,000
20,000
0
Nov
Feb
May
Jun
Aug
Oct
Nov
Dec
2005
2006
2006
2006
2006
2006
2006
2006
Source: Department of Defense, Office of Joints Chiefs of Staff, “Boots on Ground” data, November 1,
2005 through January 1, 2007.
Figure 6. Comparative U.S. Force Levels in Iraq
(Years 2005, 2006, and 2007)
200,000
157,982
147,796
150,000
128,569
100,000
50,000
0
Nov 2005
Nov 2006
Jan 2007
Source: Department of Defense, Office of Joints Chiefs of Staff, “Boots on Ground” data.
Operation Iraqi Freedom Troop Rotations. On November 17, 2006;
December 27, 2006; and January 11, 2007, DOD announced its latest scheduled troop
deployment and adjustments for unit rotations to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi
Freedom (OIF). The initial 2007 schedule for the affected units is summarized in Table
1 below.

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Table 1. Operation Iraqi Freedom Current Rotational Units
Military Unit
Home Military Base
Rotation to Iraq
Army
2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division
Fort Bragg, NC
January, 2007
4th Brigade, 1st Infantry Division
Fort Riley, KS
February, 2007
3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division
Fort Benning, GA
March, 2007
4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry
Fort Lewis, WA
April, 2007
Division
2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division
Fort Stewart, GA
May, 2007
1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division
Fort Stewart, GA
early-2007
1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division
Fort Bragg, NC
early-2007
173rd Airborne Brigade
Vicenza, Italy
early-2007
Source: DOD News Releases, November 17, 2006, December 27, 2006, and January 11, 2007.
In addition to the above scheduled rotations into Iraq, DOD announced that the 1st
Brigade, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota Army National Guard will be extended in its
current mission for up to 125 days and the Marine Corps will extend two reinforced
infantry battalions for approximately 60 days along with extending the 15th Marine
Expeditionary Unit for 45 additional days in Iraq.2 These rotations and force adjustments
will eventually build U.S. military capacity to 20 brigade or regimental combat teams on
the ground in Iraq.
crsphpgw
2 DOD News Release, January 11, 2007.

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