Order Code RS22449
Updated September 20, 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, 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 over 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 September 1, 2007, according to DOD, the
United States had 165,607 troops stationed in Iraq — 144,992 active component and
20,615 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 September 1, 2007, according to Department of Defense (DOD), the United
States had 165,607 military personnel deployed in Iraq. Of these, 144,992 were active
component personnel and 20,615 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, January 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 were to be primarily 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 would serve 15-
month tours in the region effective immediately, up from the previous 12-month tour
rotations.2 These forces were to be gradually 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 September 1, 2007)
120,000
103,520
100,000
80,000
60,000
26,331
40,000
10,922
20,000
4,219
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 September 1, 2007)
Army NG
11,625
984
Air NG
6,544
Army Rv
592
Air Rv
669
Navy Rv
201
Marines Rv
-
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
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 declined from November 2005 to February 2007, particularly the
Reserve Component. After a slight increase in March 2007, the surge built up troop levels
through September 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, stating these will depend
upon the security situation within Iraq.
Figure 3. OIF Active Component Force Levels (Feb 2006/Sept 2007)
120,000
103,520
Feb-06
Sep-07
100,000
75,472
80,000
60,000
26,331
40,000
23,514
8,906 10,922
20,000
4,219
2,858
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/Sept 2007)
16,898
18,000
16,000
Feb-06
Sep-07
14,000
11,625
12,000
10,000
8,000
5,981 6,544
6,000
4,000
1,608
1,212
2,000
984
261 592
655
629
201
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
(Jan 2007-Sept 2007)
180,000
157,674
160,000
150,336
144,486
140,000
134,754
165,607
120,000
156,247
144,202
100,000
128,569
137,976
80,000
60,000
40,000
20,000
0
Jan-07 Feb-07 Mar-07 Apr-07 May-07 Jun-07
Jul-07
Aug-07 Sep-07
Source: Department of Defense, Office of Joints Chief of Staff, “Boots on Ground” data, January 1, 2007
through September 1, 2007.
Figure 7. Comparative U.S. Force Levels in Iraq
(Years 2005, 2006, and 2007)
200,000
165,607
157,982
147,796
150,000
100,000
50,000
0
Nov 2005
Nov 2006
Sep 2007
Source: Department of Defense, Office of Joints Chiefs of Staff, “Boots on Ground” data.
Operation Iraqi Freedom Troop Rotations. On July 31, 2007, DOD
announced its latest scheduled troop deployment and adjustments for unit rotations to Iraq
in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). These late 2007 to early 2008 scheduled
deployments to Iraq involve three Army brigades or Marine Corps regimental combat
teams and one Marine expeditionary force headquarters unit. These rotations are not
directly tied to the surge in Iraq and are summarized in Table 1 below.

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Table 1. Operation Iraqi Freedom Late 2007 Early 2008
Rotational Units
Military Unit
Home Military Base
Rotation to Iraq
Army
3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division
Fort Carson, CO
Late 2007 or Early 2008
Marine Corps
1 Marine Expeditionary Force
Camp Pendleton, CA
Late 2007 or Early 2008
Headquarters
Regimental Combat Team 1
Camp Pendleton, CA
Late 2007 or Early 2008
Regimental Combat Team 5
Camp Pendleton, CA
Late 2007 or Early 2008
Source: DOD News Release July, 2007.
These rotations and extensions of active duty Army tours to 15 months will maintain
U.S. military capacity at 20 brigade or regimental combat teams on the ground in Iraq.

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