President Obama has ordered 17,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan as part of an effort to strengthen security in the country.

The deployments will consist of an 8,000-strong Marine Expeditionary Brigade in the spring, to be followed by a 4,000-strong Army Stryker Brigade in the summer, along with 5,000 support personnel. The increase in troop levels in Afghanistan will be made possible by the U.S. plan to decrease troop levels in Iraq, the president said.

Obama said the United States seeks to formulate a strategic policy, with the help of its allies, for the South Asia region. “As we develop our new strategic goals, we will do so in concert with our friends and allies as together we seek the resources necessary to succeed,” Obama said.

For more, see “Obama Orders First New Troops to Afghanistan.”