up to 10,800 Afghanistan troops will remain in Afghanistan at last year . Robert Gates 's unannounced visit will include other stops in the region . The trip follows a recent announcement that he will step down as defense chief . A critic of the Iraq war , Hagel took over from his predecessor Robert Gates to oversee the draw down from Afghanistan and a heavily cut Pentagon budget . He has served as defense secretary since the start of 2015 .
up to 10,800 Afghanistan troops will remain in Afghanistan at last year . Robert Gates 's unannounced visit will include other stops in the region . The trip follows a recent announcement that he will step down as defense chief . He has served as defense secretary since the start of 2015 .