Hmm, can you say “mission creep?”

Via The Hill:

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Tuesday wouldn’t rule out having American advisers accompany Iraqi troops into battle against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

President Obama has deployed 1,600 U.S. advisers to Iraq so far, but has stressed that there are no “boots on the ground” in a combat role.

But Gen. Martin Dempsey said it’s possible he could at some point recommend to Obama that the American advisers begin riding along with Iraqi forces as they take on ISIS, which would put them in harm’s way.

“To be clear, if we reach the point where I believe our advisors should accompany Iraqi troops on attacks against specific ISIL targets, I will recommend that to the president,” Dempsey said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, using an alternate acronym for the group.