The United States next month will begin withdrawing the first of 10,000 troops that will leave Afghanistan by year’s end and 33,000 in total that will come home from there by mid 2012, President Obama told the nation Wednesday evening in an address from the White House. This withdrawal will reduce US troop levels there by roughly a third, reversing the troop surge that Obama directed in December 2009 to refocus efforts against Al Qaeda and counter Taliban momentum. “Thanks to our extraordinary men and women in uniform, our civilian personnel, and our many coalition partners, we are meeting our goals,” stated Obama, allowing him to fulfill his commitment to begin the withdrawal in July. Obama said after this initial reduction, US troops “will continue coming home at a steady pace” as Afghan security forces move into the lead. “Our mission will change from combat to support. By 2014, this process of transition will be complete, and the Afghan people will be responsible for their own security,” he explained. (White House blog entry, with video of address.) (See also Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ statement)
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.