Quebec City, Quebec ? NATO wants about 3,400 more trainers for the Afghanistan army and police, and the United States may fill some of those jobs despite difficulties finding available troops, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday.

The United States probably would be responsible for fewer than 1,000 of the training spots, while U.S. officials hope European nations will provide the rest.

Gates said the American troops would come from new forces that would be deployed to Afghanistan. He said part of the problem is that many of the trainers are National Guard forces, “and we have a hard time identifying who would go.”

Gates was returning from a meeting in Quebec with defense ministers from allies also serving in the southern sector of Afghanistan.

The NATO-led coalition there still needs aircraft, medical equipment and military trainers to bolster its planned spring assault against the Taliban, according to the U.S. military.