The U.S. wants to bolster efforts to combat Islamic State militants in Iraq.<br/> <br />Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (English) PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY REAR ADMIRAL JOHN KIRBY , SAYING:<br/> <br />"The commander in chief has authorized Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to deploy to Iraq up to 1,500 additional U.S. personnel over the coming months, in a non-combat role, to expand our advise and assist mission and initiate a comprehensive training effort for Iraqi forces."<br/> <br />The Pentagon said it planned to establish several sites across the country to train nine Iraqi army brigades and three brigades of Kurdish Peshmerga fighters.<br/> <br />Alarmed by the advance of Islamic State militants across Iraq, President Barack Obama began sending non-combatant troops back to Iraq in the summer for the first time since U.S. forces withdrew from the country in 2011.<br/> <br />The White House will ask Congress for $5.6 billion for the operations in Iraq and Syria, which incl
