It's 'Vietnam All Over Again' As Defense Department Prepares to Beef Up Number of US Advisers in Ukraine
streiff
The Department of Defense is considering upping the number of US military advisers stationed in Ukraine. Politico said, "The advisers would not be in a combat role, but rather would advise and support the Ukrainian government and military."
“Throughout this conflict, the DOD has reviewed and adjusted our presence in-country, as security conditions have evolved. Currently, we are considering sending several additional advisers to augment the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) at the Embassy,” Ryder said in a statement to POLITICO, noting that “personnel are subject to the same travel restrictions as all embassy employees.
The ODC “performs a variety of advisory and support missions (non-combat), and while it is staffed exclusively by DOD personnel, it is embedded within the U.S. Embassy, under Chief of Mission authority like the rest of the Embassy,” Ryder added.
Ryder declined to discuss specific numbers of personnel “for operational security and force protection reasons.”According to the most recent data (December 2023), 18 Army/Air Force personnel and one Department of Defense civilian are assigned to Ukraine. Two anonymous US officials say that number could rise to 60.
The role of the current group of soldiers assigned to Ukraine is to provide security for the US embassy, as Defense data indicates there are no Marines in Ukraine, and oversee the accountability of weapons and equipment. The new group will assist the Ukrainians with developing maintenance facilities for US-made weapons systems.
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https://redstate.com/streiff/2024/04/20/its-vietnam-all-over-again-as-defense-department-prepares-to-beef-up-number-of-us-advisers-in-ukraine-n2173091
