WASHINGTON - More US military trainers are being sent to Afghanistan, a top Pentagon official said, commending the progress made by Afghan security forces."We're going to do an uplift of about 800 people by next March that will better help us start getting at some of these specialty skills now that really are very important."

Lt. Gen. William Caldwell, the commanding general of the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan, told Pentagon reporters from Kabul on Monday: "We have about an additional 800 people, trainers that are still coming…"

Afghan forces had made remarkable progress in recent years, but still had a long way to go, he said, but hastened to add: "I don't want to mislead anybody. It does not mean they have absolutely no coalition support…"

Caldwell said it was a clear sign the Afghans were moving forward and would have the ability in December 2014 to assume the lead for security in their country.

In September 2009, he recalled, only 800 young men decided to join the Afghan National Army. This past month, over 8,000 men decide to join the army, the official said.