

"Until the Afghan security forces are ready to take over lead for security.

Dave Lapan, a Department of Defense spokesperson. "We're conducting full-spectrum combat operations today, we'll be doing it tomorrow, we'll be doing it next month," said Marine Col. Officials emphasized that the movement of the M1A1s to Afghanistan does not represent an escalation of the conflict there. The RC-Southwest region lends itself to armored operations with wide open areas and none of the mountainous terrain that characterizes Regional Command-East and the northern portions of Regional Command-South. Mills, commander of Afghanistan's Regional Command-Southwest, according to a Department of Defense release. The tanks were requested by Marine Corps Maj. 25), marking the first time U.S.-owned tanks have deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. An Air Mobility Command C-17 Globemaster III and its crew delivered the first of 17 M1A1 Abrams tanks to military forces in Afghanistan on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 618th Air and Space Operations Center Public Affairs.
