U.S. Opens Afghan Pullout Transit Center in Romania

The United States on Friday officially opened a new military transit hub in Romania which will play a key role for American forces leaving Afghanistan.

Major General John O'Connor, in charge of logistical support, said the Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase near the Black Sea would act as a "center of gravity" for the U.S. draw down.

"We anticipate 20 to 30,000 troops from Afghanistan to transit here in the course of 2014," he said at the inauguration.

The U.S., which had about 34,000 troops in Afghanistan at the end of January, is planning to pull out most of its combat forces and equipment by the end of this year.