Blog Posts tagged with "ISAF"
An Active Autumn Ahead
As we wrap up high summer, it's a sensible time to look ahead at the fall and think about the big tasks facing the NATO Alliance and US European Command. The Olympics and the Jubilee fade to memory, and hopefully most folks have managed to break away for a short vacation to recharge. The autumn will be a busy time.
From an Alliance perspective, we are very focused -- as you would expect -- on Afghanistan. That is really "job one," and will continue to absorb a great deal of our time and attention. Even given the setbacks, as I've often written over the past year the progress there, which continues, has been significant especially in the security sector.
British Army Maj. Bev Allen speaks with an Afghan National Army commander during Operation Atash June 18 through 20. The operation was an Afghan led clearing operation to rid the town of Kakaran of IEDs and insurgents.
We are transitioning to Afghan-led security in 75% of the country, and our plan to turn over complete control by the end of 2014 remains on track. Afghans now lead over 50% of the security operations, and we are partnered together on over 90% of them. In a recent and tragic Blackhawk helicopter crash, we lost both US SEALS and Afghan Commandos -- fallen heroes who fought together "shohna ba shohna", or shoulder-to-shoulder in Dari. There are 350,000 or so Afghan security forces, and they are taking casualties at about five times the rate of coalition soldiers. Their numbers and capability are rising. Our own casualty rates are down about 25% over last year, reflecting Afghans stepping to the lead.
Naturally, we are very concerned about another increasing negative trend: attacks by Afghan security forces on coalition forces. These have grown significantly compared to last year, and while statistically tiny (about 30) compared to the vast number of opportunities for such attacks given our work together (thousands of chances daily), they can have a negative impact on morale and perception out of proportion to their military impact. We're reviewing all our procedures carefully, vetting incoming Afghan security forces even more precisely, developing procedures to protect our troops, and using biometrics thoroughly.
This fall, the focus in Afghanistan will be on transition to Afghan led security, continuing to bring coalition combat forces down (US forces will drop to 68,000 shortly, from a high of well over 100,000), redeploying our equipment, training the Afghan security teams, and increasing combat capability in the east while consolidating significant gains in the south.
An Afghan National Army soldier searches an Afghan local for contraband during a partnered patrol, June 6, 2012. During the patrol, ANA and Marines from Dog Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 6, spoke with Afghans to assess local needs and locate where insurgents operate in the area.
There will be good days and bad, but the overall trend is positive and we're on track to success. The key in the security sector will be maintaining mentoring, training, and funding for the Afghans through the transition.
Other operational tasks for NATO will be keeping peace in the Balkans (we still have 6,000 troops in Kosovo, which is tense but calm); continuing our strong progress against piracy (attacks have dropped in half compared to last year); improving our cyber defense capability (needs work); and further deployment of our missile defense system (radar in Turkey, AEGIS ships at sea, command and control in Ramstein, Germany). Busy, busy.
At the philosophical level, it is time to think about "NATO 3.0." I'll write more about this in the fall, but here is the idea: If we were a computer program, "NATO 1.0" was the Cold War -- massive, static, locked in a bipolar (and simple) struggle with the Soviet Union. "NATO 2.0" is what we have today -- globally deployed, heavily committed out of area, troops on three continents, a massive structure in Afghanistan. As we come out of Afghanistan in a couple of years, what does "NATO 3.0" look like? Stay tuned, as we shape it together.
Over at US European Command, we'll be working to support the nearly 10,000 troops we forward deploy to Afghanistan, consolidating base structure in Europe (continuing to reduce our footprint), devising rotational schemes to bolster our allies in the Baltics and Eastern Europe, working on the US parts of the NATO missile defense system, and focusing on our key relationships in Israel (part of the EUCOM remit for military-to-military contact), Poland, Turkey, and Russia -- where we seek zones of cooperation, recognizing we'll have differences in various areas.
EUCOM will also work on our key focus areas: international cooperation, interagency integration and private-public collaboration, and strategic communication. This all helps create what I've called elsewhere "open source security."
The wild card, of course, will be Syria and the Levant. The civil war in Syria continues to burn, with over 20,000 dead and perhaps a million pushed out of their homes. Lebanon is increasingly affected. Israel is deeply concerned, even as they continue to watch Iran. The Eastern Med is full of warships from lots of different nations. With struggling diplomatic efforts for Syria, there are increasing calls for military and humanitarian intervention.
Best,
Jim
Admiral James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander Europe
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Rejoinder to "Punch Them in the Nose ... and Then Leave" by CDR John Kuehn, Proceedings
While I certainly sympathize with the thrust of John Kuehn's title in his energetic article about the situation in Afghanistan, I'd like to offer a somewhat different perspective from my position as the Supreme Allied Commander for all NATO operations, including the 140,000, 50-nation coalition in Afghanistan.
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The Power of Partnering in the Baltics
In early March, we teamed up with Project Hope, a non-profit medical service organization, to work with us and our Baltic allies in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia on some of the most relevant, important issues facing all of our forces.
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Meeting of the NATO Defense Ministers
We just finished an excellent two-day meeting in Brussels with the 28 NATO Defense Ministers -- including, of course, my bosses Secretary of Defense Bob Gates and Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The meeting focused on one expected challenge -- Afghanistan -- and one new issue, Libya.
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Local Procurement in Latvia Strengthens Northern Distribution Network
The United States European Command (USEUCOM) plays an important role supplying the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. I’d like to explain how building business relationships with companies in the USEUCOM area of responsibility can have a positive effect on that effort.
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A Few Days in Afghanistan
The security situation in Helmand Province was significantly different this month than it was when I last visited in January 2010. I was especially struck by the continued improvement in the performance and size of the Afghan security forces down south. In 2010, there were roughly 10,000 ISAF servicemen and 2,000 ANSF in Helmand Province, roughly a 5:1 ratio. Today, there are 30,000 ISAF and 30,000 ANSF – a 1:1 ratio with Afghan forces increasingly in the lead. Afghan flags fly across the province, schools are open, bazaars are thriving. There is a sense of progress.
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Under Siege - For Real
Imagine what the movie might look like though…working with a Special Forces Operational Detachment –Alpha (a bunch of Green Berets) and local Afghans running counterinsurgency missions in the heart of Taliban country. Sgt. Rodriguez-Torres, playing himself of course, is the head cook, in charge of preparing three daily feasts for at least 50 hungry warriors at a time (using anything available; turning it into a gourmet meal). On a fairly regular basis, however, he must also deal with Taliban fighters outside the perimeter, attempting to overrun the base and claim it as their own. The enemy is well equipped, with AK-47s, PKM machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and 107mm rockets.
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Three Outcomes from Lisbon
We finished the Lisbon summit last week – really a high point thus far in the nearly 18 months I’ve been the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). While not without some challenges, overall the summit must be judged a real success.
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No Trainers, No Transition
In the past ten months there has been measured progress in the Afghan National Security Force (ANSF); in quality as well as quantity. Since last November, NATO Training Mission Afghanistan has supported the Afghan Ministries of Interior and Defense to recruit, train and assign over 100,000 soldiers and police, an incredible feat. To achieve this, the training capacity was increased, moving from under 10,000 seats for police training alone to almost 15,000.
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Observations from a friend in Afghanistan
In a recent email to family and friends, he did a nice job of laying out the task ahead and the stakes, with a focus on information. I thought others might be interested in his thoughts and observations, and so I'm including him as a guest blogger today:
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Afghanistan's "East Point" Military Academy
On this last trip we took a tour of the National Military Academy of Afghanistan. Years ago a friend of mine, a graduate of West Point, proudly told me about “East Point”, the military academy in Afghanistan modeled after West Point. Last week when I spoke to a professor at the military academy, as we ended the conversation, he emphasized “one important point that you should know, we are modeled after West Point.” The pride with which they both described this relationship gave me a sense of the bonds being built by the Afghan soldiers and their ISAF partners.
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What’s Working In Afghanistan
Just back from two days in Kabul, and when I think back on the situation a year ago, the progress is very encouraging.
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Headed home after four days in Australia and New Zealand
Headed home over the South Pacific after four days in Australia and New Zealand, strong allies and partners in Afghanistan as part of our 45-nation International Security Force – it was an excellent visit.
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Operation Moshtarak
And so began the Afghan-NATO offensive into Helmad province, known as Operation Moshtarak – which translates roughly as “Together.” We are focusing on the area around a town called Marjah, where there has historically been a great deal of insurgent activity and heroin production.
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Should the U.S. Military Communicate in the Social Media Realm?
As important as social media has become in the world, it is playing an ever-increasing role in the U.S. military. I’d like to highlight a great example from the International Security Assistance Force.
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Afghanistan Visit and Way Forward
I came away encouraged and optimistic about our approach.
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The Afghanistan Uplift
I've received a lot of good feedback on Afghanistan.
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The Course for Afghanistan
Yesterday President Obama laid out the strategy for Afghanistan
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Transparency at European Command
Well, the United States military continues to amaze me on the social media scene
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“Smart” Engagement with the “Capital of Europe”
Last week, I spent two days in Brussels attending two European Union conferences “EU Smart Power” and “Energy Security” and got the chance to visit with my counterparts at the EU Military Staff.
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Defense Ministerial
I’ve just returned from Bratislava, Slovakia where the NATO Fall '09 Defense Ministerial was held, followed by an official visit to Slovakian senior defense leaders.
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Three Days in Afghanistan
In three busy days in Afghanistan, I focused on Helmand province and the British and U.S. Marine Corps forces. Over the course of lunch with the provincial Governor - a man in his early 60s and a survivor of many challenging events in Afghanistan - I talked with him about the needs of the district.
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U.S. Marine Forces, Europe to begin Georgia Deployment Program-International Security Assistance For
The Georgian Minister of Defense will contribute an infantry battalion to serve under the United States supporting the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
Comments: 1
May NATO 3.0 witness a full-scale commitment to Peace Through Development that makes the deserts bloom by means of a vast expansion of and priority on what a joint service Corps of Engineers might do for those living in deprivation and facing austerity. Might that the creation of credit serve that purpose [Let there be money is all really stands behind the dollar anyway] such that all the pain and suffering that has been endured on all sides finally finds us beating our swords into plowshares.