NATO and ANSF face challenges but make progress in Afghanistan

13 Sep 2010

SACEUR at the National Military Afghan Academy, Kabul, Afghanistan. Image by SGT Sebastian Kelm (DEU Army)

Last week I completed my sixth trip to Afghanistan since becoming SACEUR. As always, I was struck by the challenges we face - corruption, ANSF attrition, and IEDs to name a few. More importantly, however, I am encouraged by the progress I saw during my visit and am more convinced than ever than we can succeed in Afghanistan.

I spent the bulk of my time visiting NATO forces in Regional Command East. In this region, one size does not fit all. The provinces vary significantly in many ways - enemy, terrain, economy, ethnicity, etc.

Adm. Stavridis talks to French gendarmes during a visit to FOB Morales-Frazier, ISAF, Afghanistan. Image by SGT Sebastian Kelm (DEU Army)

Effective counterinsurgency requires experienced, well-trained leaders and forces that can think their way through complex situations and find just the right combination of programs and actions to stabilize the area. I was uniformly impressed by the quality of the comprehensive counterinsurgency operations our forces were executing.

Task Force Lafayette, our French Battlegroup, operates to the northeast of Kabul in Kapisa Province. This fine unit has mastered the art of partnering and mentoring the ANSF. OMLTs and POMLTs operate throughout the province training and operating with their Afghan colleagues. As a result, the confidence, competence, and capabilities of their partner units are improving.

SACEUR with Commander Polish FOB Ghazni, Afghanistan. Image by SGT Sebastian Kelm (DEU Army)

Southwest of Kabul in Ghazni Province, Task Force White Eagle, our Polish Battlegroup is in a difficult fight with a determined enemy. In situations like this it is easy to default strictly to kinetic operations. Despite the challenge of a very dangerous enemy, Task Force White Eagle continues to take an integrated civilian military approach to stabilizing and developing Ghazni Province.

Overwhelmingly, I was struck by the quality of our servicemen and women. Both the French and the Polish Troops represented their nations and NATO in a superb fashion. I was delighted by the Afghan Forces I visited with, as well.

I met with the faculty of Afghanistan's National Military Academy. The graduating class of 2009 was 84 students, and the

SACEUR at an interview with National and International Journalists at the ISAF HQ in Kabul.Image by SGT Sebastian Kelm (DEU Army)

class of 2010 was 212.

These are great numbers, but more encouraging is the fact that there are more than 3000 applicants for 650 available seats in the class of 2014.

While at the academy, I was honored to meet with the ANA Commandos, an elite unit that maintains an impressive 100% retention rate. These great Soldiers, along with other SOF elements, have an enormous operational tempo. In the last 90 days, they executed 4000 precision operations taking the most dangerous enemy leaders off the battlefield.

Adm. Stavridis at the National Military Afghan Academy, Kabul, Afghanistan. Image by SGT Sebastian Kelm (DEU Army)

With such high standards and phenomenal retention rates, this unit is producing leaders that will help move the ANA forward for years to come.