White House Proposes Slight Boost in Aid for Afghan Forces 

WASHINGTON - The United States is hoping more money will help make up for the absence of U.S. combat troops on the ground in Afghanistan.

U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday unveiled his proposed $715 billion defense budget for fiscal year 2022, including $3.3 billion for Afghan forces. The request is $300 million more than what the U.S. gave Afghanistan this past fiscal year. If approved by Congress, the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund money would help cover equipment and training requirements, as well as infrastructure, for the 352,000 members of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. "We believe that given that we're pulling out of Afghanistan, we need to provide some additional security support for the forces there," Anne McAndrew, the Pentagon's acting Under Secretary of Defense and Chief Financial Officer, told reporters.