Order Code RS22449
Updated April 13, 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. To accomplish this increase in part, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
announced on April 11, 2007, that all active-duty Army personnel in the U.S. Central
Command area would now serve 15-month tours in the region, up from the previous 12-
month rotations. 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 March 1, 2007,
according to DOD, the United States had 137,976 troops stationed in Iraq — 111,911
active component and 26,065 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 March 1, 2007, according to Department of Defense (DOD), the United States
had 137,976 military personnel deployed in Iraq. Of these, 111,911 were active
component personnel and 26,065 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
1 DOD Fact Sheet, Global Commitments, Jan. 9, 2007.

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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
Baghdad and Anbar province, the major current areas of unrest and conflict in Iraq. These
additional force levels were originally to be accomplished primarily by a stepped-up pace
of military unit rotations into Iraq and a delay for some personnel departures from that
country. However, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced on April 11, 2007, that
all active-duty Army personnel in the U.S. Central Command area will now serve 15-
month tours in the region effective immediately, up from the previous 12-month tour
rotations.2 These forces will gradually 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 March 1, 2007)
76,507
80,000
70,000
60,000
50,000
40,000
22,176
30,000
9,463
20,000
3,765
10,000
0
Army
Air Force
Navy
Marine
Corps
Source: Department of Defense, Office of Joints Chiefs of Staff, “Boots on Ground” data.
2 American Forces Press Service, Gates Extends Army Tours in Iraq to 15 Months, April 11, 2007

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Figure 2. Reserve Component Personnel in Iraq
(as of March 1, 2007)
Army NG
15,191
1,459
Air NG
6,046
Army Rv
523
Air Rv
749
Navy Rv
2,097
Marines Rv
-
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000 12,000 14,000 16,000
Source: Department of Defense, Office of Joints Chiefs of Staff, “Boots on Ground” data.
Comparative Operation Iraqi Freedom U.S. Force Levels. Overall U.S.
force levels in Iraq have declined from November 2005 to February 2007, particularly the
Reserve Component. A slight increase in deployments occurred beginning in March 2007.
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/Mar 2007)
75,472
76,507
80,000
Feb-06
Mar-07
70,000
60,000
50,000
40,000
23,514
30,000
22,176
8,906
20,000
9,463
10,000
2,858
3,765
0
Army
Navy
AF
MC
Source: Department of Defense, Office of Joints Chiefs of Staff, “Boots on Ground” data.

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Figure 4. OIF Reserve Component Force Levels (Feb 2006/Mar 2007)
16,898
18,000
15,191
16,000
Feb-06
Mar-07
14,000
12,000
10,000
8,000
5,981 6,046
6,000
4,000
1,212
1,608 2,097
1,459
2,000
261 523
655
749
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.
Figure 5. Comparative U.S. Force Levels 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.

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Figure 6. Comparative U.S. Force Levels in Iraq
(Years 2005, 2006, and 2007)
200,000
157,982
147,796
137,976
150,000
100,000
50,000
0
Nov 2005
Nov 2006
Mar 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; January 11, 2007; February 16, 2007; and April 2, 2007, DOD
announced its latest scheduled troop deployment and adjustments for unit rotations to Iraq
in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). The 2007 schedule to date for the affected
units is summarized in Table 1 below.

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Table 1. Operation Iraqi Freedom 2007 Rotational Units
Military Unit
Home Military Base
Rotation to Iraq
Army
3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division
Fort Benning, GA
March, 2007
Headquarters, 3rd Infantry Division
Fort Stewart, 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
Headquarters, XVIII Airborne Corps
Fort Bragg, NC
early to mid-2007
Headquarters, 1st Armored Division
Wiesbaden, Germany
early to mid-2007
Headquarters, 4th Infantry Division
Fort Hood, TX
early to mid-2007
1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division
Fort Drum, NY
early to mid-2007
Source: DOD News Releases, November 17, 2006; December 27, 2006; January 11, 2007; February 16,
2007; and April 2, 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.3 On April 2, 2007, DOD also
announced that the 25th Infantry Division headquarters will have its tour extended by
approximately 45 days.4 These rotations, force adjustments, and extensions of active duty
Army tours to 15 months will eventually build U.S. military capacity to 20 brigade or
regimental combat teams on the ground in Iraq.
3 DOD News Release, Jan. 11, 2007.
4 DOD News Release, April 2, 2007.

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