ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)
Some of the additional 1,500 U.S. troops authorized to advise and train Iraqi forces for their fight against Islamic State militants will begin deploying to the country in the next few weeks, the Pentagon said on Thursday (November 20).
Rear Admiral John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, also said the U.S. has secured numerous pledges by coalition partners to send in additional troops to Iraq, as well.
"They will start to announce and then flow their troops in the next couple of months," said Kirby. "I think, certainly by the end of the calendar year, your going to see a much more robust presence, not just by the United States doing this but by coalition partners, as well."
The Pentagon is still waiting for Congress to approve the additional funding needed in order to execute the expanded effort.
