Up To 80,000 Troops Could Be Involved

The U.S. military operation in Bosnia could involve as many as 80,000 U.S. military personnel, far more than the 20,000 troops cited by the White House and Pentagon, experts say.

Between 40,000 and 60,000 U.S. military personnel in Europe and the United States will work in direct support of the 20,000 American soldiers slated for service inside Bosnia, several retired Army officers and other defense experts said Tuesday.

Left largely unmentioned so far are personnel ranging from Navy fighter pilots patrolling Bosnian airspace to Army cargo handlers loading military trains in Germany, to Pentagon intelligence specialists and West Coast air crews assigned to supply flights.

The vast majority of support personnel will operate outside Bosnia.