U.S. troops on Afghan mission chant Obama's name

CAMP PHOENIX, Afghanistan (Reuters) - On the outskirts of the Afghan capital, 100 U.S. troops filled a brightly-lit canteen on Tuesday to witness the inauguration of Barack Obama, who inherits a tough fight in Afghanistan.

As the newly sworn-in 44th U.S. president pledged to "forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan," the troops chanted "Obama," and gave him a standing ovation as they watched a live telecast from the steps of Capitol Hill, projected onto a giant screen.

"We look forward to the attention and the amount of resources to include personnel that will be coming our way," Stephen Huber, Commander of the 33rd Brigade Infantry Team based at Camp Phoenix, told Reuters.

Obama is expected to sign off plans to deploy an extra 30,000 troops in Afghanistan to reinforce the already 65,000-strong combined NATO-led and U.S. military presence, which is locked in a fierce battle against a resurgent Taliban.

"I think it's a well-needed shot in the arm to the very successful efforts we've had here in Afghanistan," Huber added.

For many troops at Camp Phoenix, most of whom are part of the Illinois national guard, the ascent of Obama, the United States' first black president and former senator for Illinois, had personal resonance.

"Most of us here are from Illinois, we're proud, it's just historic to have a senator from Illinois, let alone an African-American. It's overwhelming for us," said Tiffany Givens, an African-American 22-year-old Specialist from Chicago.

"My grandparents are in the living room, reflecting on marching with Dr (Martin Luther) King and now watching an inauguration with Barack Obama, it's outstanding."

HOME EARLY?

The new commander-in-chief faces a hard task in Afghanistan, where the U.S. military death toll for 2008 was at a record high, with 127 Americans killed, compared with a total 169 deaths for foreign forces in 2007, according to Reuters figures.

He will also inherit an increasingly tense relationship with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who repeated earlier on Tuesday his criticism of foreign forces for causing civilian casualties.

Some at Camp Phoenix hoped Obama's focus on Afghanistan and the decision to inject more troops into the southern and eastern provinces, the front line of the fight against the insurgency, would lead to an early return to the United States.

"What do I think about the situation here as far as Obama being in office? I think I'm coming home early this year," said Private First Class Nikesha Drummond, 25, from Chicago.

As the ceremony wrapped up and the telecast came to an end, the troops, some of them tearful, gradually made their way to their digs, mulling the difference Obama may or not make in Afghanistan.

"I think George Bush really tried to help Afghanistan out and he give Barack Obama something to start off with," Specialist Justin Ambrose, also from Chicago, said, adding: "so now Mr. Obama is going to have to fill those shoes and will continue to help Afghanistan."

(Editing by Andrew Roche)