Kamala Harris was wrong when she said there are no U.S. troops in combat zones

Harris' Claim About No U.S. Troops in Combat Zones is "FALSE".

During the first 2024 presidential debate, Vice President Kamala Harris made the following claim:

"As of today, there is not one member of the United States military who is in active duty in a combat zone, in any war zone around the world, first time this century."[1][3][4]

However, this statement is false and misleading for several reasons:

### U.S. Troops Stationed in Combat Zones

The U.S. maintains a significant military presence in areas that are considered combat zones:

- Nearly 1,000 U.S. troops are deployed at bases in Syria[2]
- 2,500 U.S. troops are stationed in Iraq[2]
- These troops have come under deadly fire from adversaries over the past year[3]
- In January 2024, THREE U.S. SERVICE MEMBERS WERE KILLED and 40 others wounded in an attack on their base in Jordan near the Syrian border[2]

### Narrow Definition of "Combat Zone"

Harris appears to be using a very narrow definition of what constitutes a combat zone. The U.S. government officially designates certain areas as combat zones for tax purposes, but this does not mean U.S. troops stationed there are not facing hostilities.[1]

### Ongoing Military Operations Abroad

While the U.S. is no longer engaged in major wars like in Afghanistan, it continues to conduct military operations around the world:

- In August 2024, a U.S. military operation in western Iraq resulted in the deaths of 15 ISIS operatives, with seven U.S. soldiers sustaining injuries[2]
- In September 2024, the U.S. dispatched troops, equipment and naval vessels to the Middle East in anticipation of potential Iranian aggression against Israel[2]

So while the U.S. military presence abroad has diminished compared to the peak of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there are still thousands of U.S. troops stationed in active combat zones facing threats from adversaries. Harris' claim that there are no U.S. troops in combat zones for the first time this century is simply false.

Citations:
[1] https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2024/sep/11/kamala-harris/why-harris-debate-remarks-about-us-military-in-com/
[2] https://www.yahoo.com/news/kamala-harris-wrong-she-said-160426650.html
[3] https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/fact-checking-kamala-harris-donald-trumps-1st-presidential/story?id=113567997
[4] https://www.vox.com/kamala-harris/371497/harris-troops-war-zones
[5] https://www.npr.org/2024/09/11/g-s1-21932/fact-check-trump-harris-presidential-debate-2024
[6] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/fact-check-presidential-debate-trump-harris-rcna169687
[7] https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/harris-trump-presidential-debate-election-2024/card/u-s-troops-are-involved-in-combat-despite-harris-s-debate-claims-j5b3ST4WCoIish5ScTPg
[8] https://nypost.com/2024/09/11/us-news/trump-was-fact-checked-by-abc-moderators-5-times-while-harris-was-left-alone/