Defense Secretary William S. Cohen has signed an order deploying additional Army troops to the Gulf region. The new deployments were requested by Gen. Anthony Zinni, the Commander in Chief of the U.S. Central Command, to enhance the security of Kuwait.

Approximately 5,000 to 6,000 Army troops will be deployed. This includes 2,500 to 3,000 personnel that Gen. Zinni requested last week to round out an armored brigade in Kuwait. An armored battalion and a brigade headquarters will be sent to Kuwait to join an armored battalion that is already exercising there. These troops will use equipment that is already prepositioned in Kuwait.

The up to 3,000 additional forces will include an Apache helicopter battalion of about 24 AH-64 helicopters, about 12 OH-58D observation helicopters, along with communications and other personnel. A mechanized infantry battalion task force and artillery elements will also use equipment already in Kuwait.

Personnel will also be sent to Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia to operate a Patriot battery there.

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