U.S. service members in Afghanistan said Wednesday that President Barack Obama's decision to send 30,000 more troops offered hope that they can go home _ if the reinforcements can build up the Afghan army to protect civilians against the Taliban.

The troops at this base in Wardak province, west of Kabul, learned of Obama's decision while watching TV clips of his speech during their breakfast of sausage, eggs, hash browns, fruit and cereal. Obama said that if conditions permit, the troops could begin coming home in 18 months.

"Really, I'm truly happy," said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Phillip M. Hauser, an explosives demolition expert from Salina, Kansas, who is on his fourth tour of Afghanistan and Iraq. "As soon as the Afghans can do it on their own without our help, we can go home."

Hauser said the Afghans were inexperienced _ but he didn't question their determination.

"They charge in and start pulling the wires" on the explosives, Hauser said. "It's not the safest way to do things, but these guys have the guts."

Sgt. Maj. Andrew Spano of Northboro, Massachusetts, deployed with the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, wondered whether to bank on the beginnings of a U.S. pullout in 18 months.

"Obama talking to the American people and the world shows that we have much greater direction," he said. "The train has been going down the track for some time, but this just gives us more guidelines."

But Spano appeared skeptical whether Afghan forces would be ready in 18 months _ a fear echoed by a number of Afghan officials who believed the timeline was too short. Asked about the 18-month timeframe, Spano asked: "What does it really mean?"

Capt. Mark Reel from Norfolk, Virginia, a civil affairs officer, said more troops mean nothing unless they can give local Afghans a sense of perceived security.

"They have to believe they are more secure. You get thousands of troops on some of these bases here, but what are they really doing? The troops just have to get out there."

The reason the surge worked in Iraq, he said, is because troops were able to get into the field and make Iraqis feel safer.

"The additional forces will allow us to partner with even more units of the Afghan army and police and deliver even more relationships with those local influential leaders who may be sitting on the fence," said Col. David Haight, commander of Task Force Spartan, which has about 4,000 troops in Wardak and Logar provinces.

In the United States, battle-weary troops and their families braced for a wrenching round of new deployments to Afghanistan, but many said they support the surge as long as it helps to end the 8-year-old conflict.