Combat forces are expected to leave Afghanistan sometime this year. Today about 42,700 troops remain in country; about 30,000 of them are soldiers. The total number is expected to drop to 34,000 by February.
It is often shared that the most dangerous time on any deployment is the first and last month of your tour. The first month is dangerous as you learn the ropes and discover how everything needs to work properly. The last month is dangerous as many folks are in a hurry, tempted to take short cuts, and focus more on going home than the immediate tasks at hand.
Please keep all of our service members in your prayers this year as combat forces continue to return home.
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Ok, but then, doesn’t God care for the Afghans too? It seems right now, they may need the most concern, don’t you think? Especially since we’ve helped to turn their country into. . .well, I’d better leave that blank.
Thanks for the comment. Yes, by all means, pray for the people of Afghanistan. In Matthew 5, Jesus teaches us to pray for everyone. Withdrawing ISAF troops will make security even more difficult for everyone involved. It does not matter who you are in a war zone, everyone is in harm’s way.