WASHINGTON — The United States has sent 80 military personnel to Chad to help locate the nearly 300 girls kidnapped in Nigeria last month, President Barack Obama said Wednesday.

Obama, in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner and the Senate, notified lawmakers about the latest steps to assist in the return of the abducted girls.

Obama said the service members will help with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft for missions over northern Nigeria and the nearby region. He says the force will stay in Chad until its support is no longer necessary.

Chad shares a portion of its western border with northeastern Nigeria.

According to Lt. Col. Myles Caggins, the 80 U.S. military personnel will help expand drone searches of the region. About 40 of the troops make up the launch and recovering teams for the drone being deployed there and the other 40 make up the security force for the team.

Caggins said this latest deployment will not involve ground searches by the troops.