Kandahar: Brig.-Gen. Vance back/Major US Army reinforcements coming

Americans going large for this fall's activities (whatever one calls them, see para before Update comment here for timing--links added to quote below):

Brig.-Gen. Jon Vance arrived in Kandahar on Friday morning to take over command of Canada's 2,800 troops in Afghanistan and South Asia.

The general's return came only five and a half days after he was named by Canadian Expeditionary Force Command as an emergency replacement for Brig.-Gen. Daniel Menard, who was abruptly fired last Saturday for alleged sexual misconduct with a female soldier under his command...

Thanks to an influx of American troops ordered by President Barack Obama, Vance has a fresh cavalry squadron from the 10th Mountain Division under his command in Dand District [see final para of this quote], as well as far more American military policemen in Kandahar City and the first wave of a brigade of troops from the 101st Airborne Division to the north and west of the provincial capital [I'm pretty certain this brigade combat team is not actually under Brig.-Gen. Vance].

Over the next couple of months several more American brigades are expected, at least doubling the number of troops in Kandahar from perhaps 7,000 today. As the American forces arrive, it is expected that Canada's military focus will narrow considerably, eventually concentrating almost entirely on Panjwaii District to the west of Kandahar City.

For the moment, however, Vance remains in charge of a powerful joint Canadian-American force [Task Force Kandahar (TFK--1st Squadron of US Army's 71st Cavalry Regiment has now been included with US units; the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry is no longer listed, likely replaced by a battalion from the 101st Airborne brigade not under TFK--see sixth para of quote here)] responsible for much of the province, which the Taliban regard as their spiritual homeland...

I doubt "several more American brigades" will be arriving at Kandahar over the next few months; I would imagine two more to be the limit. The US Army has had the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team in the region since last summer (the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, some 4,000 troops, will replace it this summer). The 2nd BCT, 101st Airborne is now arriving. That is two US brigades of ground troops; two more would make four, five brigades with TFK which is now about brigade strength. Then there is the US Army's combat aviation brigade at KAF.

So maybe six brigades in all, and some units not attached to the brigades. Now a division has traditionally had three brigades. So U.S. Major General James Terry and his 10th Mountain Division HQ will have their hands rather full when they take charge of reconfigured ISAF Regional Command (South) this fall.

Update: Note comment by Starbuck; time--and the US Army organizationally--marches on.

Upperdate: June 14--US Army orbat changes:

1) Zhari district:

With the combat boot prints of First Strike soldiers now upon the rugged terrain of the Kandahar province, Afghanistan, the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, has officially taken control of operations in the Zhari District within the Kandahar province during a transfer of authority ceremony held at Forward Operating Base Wilson, May 29 .

The 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, relinquished its control and responsibility of Zhari [the new battalion is under US command, not CF's Task Force Kandahar as the 1-12 was]...

2) KAF

...Pegasus soldiers are from the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade and Destiny is from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade. The 82nd is transferring authority to the 101st in Regional Command South [more here, here and here].