President Barack Obama “more than doubled the number of American troops in Afghanistan during his first year in office. Having ordered an increase of 21,000 troops in [February 17 and] March [27] 2009, raising total force levels to 68,000, he approved a surge of 30,000 more, plus 3,000 support troops, in December [1] 2009.”
– Dov S. Zakheim, A Vulcan’s Tale, Page 277