Pentagon signs off on sending U.S. military trainers to Pakistan this summer

WASHINGTON (CNN) - CNN has learned Defense Secretary Robert Gates has signed deployment orders that will send U.S. military trainers to Pakistan this summer to begin training Pakistan Frontier Corps units in critical counterinsurgency skills to fight the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

Several Pentagon and military officials confirmed the order has been signed although it has not been publicly announced.

The deployment will be small, just about two dozen troops. But they will go sometime this summer and stay through the spring of next year, according to the officials. All of this is the first step in a long-term U.S.-Pakistani military program on counterinsurgency cooperation.

–From CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr