KABUL – A *new US Army unit created specifically to advise and assistconventional foreign military forces has begun deploying to Afghanistan.*

Military.com reported this week that the leadership of 1st Security ForcesAssistance Brigade has arrived in Kabul and their troops will be dispersedat outposts throughout the country in order to be closer to the front linesof the war.

This is the first time in years that US troops will be on the frontline.Until now US troops have been advising high-ranking Afghan commanders butunder US President Donald Trump’s new strategy, these troops will advisebattalion-level personnel, military.com reported.

On a post this week on the unit’s Facebook page, the 1st SFAB’s leadershiparrived in Kabul and was welcomed by US Forces commander Gen. JohnNicholson.

Military.com reported that more than 800 members of the brigade will arriveover the coming weeks in preparation for the spring fighting season, whichusually begins in early April.

The brigade will be part of NATO’s Resolute Support mission, which isfocused on training, advising and assisting Afghan forces, and is separatefrom the US counterterrorism mission in the country.

According to the report, historically, conventional US Army units have beenused in an ad hoc fashion to advise and assist forces in Afghanistan andother theaters. The new SFABs, trained specifically for combat advising,are intended to make advisory more effective and efficient.

Military.com also reported that the White House plans to increase thenumber of American troops in Afghanistan from 11,000 last summer to around15,000 by spring.