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.

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.

Pvt. Tonya Breznik of the Slovenian Armed Forces talks about the training going on during Immediate Response 2012 and how it relates to here experience serving in Afghanistan in support of the International Security Assistance Force there. Immediate Response 12 is a multinational tactical field exercise that involves more than 700 personnel from the U.S. Army Europe's 2nd Cavalry Regiment and Croatian land forces, with elements from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Slovenia. Macedonia and Serbia have brought observers.

After a year-long deployment, nothing feels as good as being in the loving arms of family. The 172nd Infantry Brigade recently returned from Afghanistan. SGT Chris Jackson, in Grafenwoehr, Germany, tells us just what they came home to.

Service members have a knack for overcoming and adapting. SSgt Nathan Parry tells us how 250 Marines handled training Georgian Soldiers during exercise "Agile Spirit 2012". It meant overcoming the language barrier and a few snags courtesy of "Mother Nature."

The Northern border of Afghanistan is a vital supply route for ISAF forces. It’s also an important source of revenue for the Afghan government. Petty Officer Brandon Shelander tells us how Alpha Company of the 40th Engineer Battalion, based in Baumholder, Germany, protects the Afghan border crossing by building relationships and a combat outpost.

Soldiers of the Special Operations Command Europe pride themselves as quiet professionals, but sometimes certain actions deserve special recognition. SSG Joe Labutka has more on a valor ceremony for several heroic men and their amazing deeds.

Thirty-two Soldiers and one Sailor from 2nd NATO Signal Battalion, Deployable Communications Module, Alpha Company (DCM-A), attached to Joint Forces Command (JFC) Naples, returned home after a scheduled 6-month deployment to Afghanistan here, Aug. 12.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

HEIDELBERG, Germany — With the return of V Corps soldiers from Afghanistan Aug. 1, the Heidelberg Lady Generals basketball team got their head coach back.

Army Lt. Gen. Kathleen M. Gainey, the director of logistics for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies June 28 and 29. She toured the facility and provided the keynote speech for one of the Marshall Center’s graduating classes.

HOHENFELS, Germany – U.S. Army Europe’s Joint Multinational Readiness Center premiered its first NATO counter IED baseline course for ISAF partners.

Just back from two days in Kabul, and when I think back on the situation a year ago, the progress is very encouraging.

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.

SHAPE, Belgium — Allied Command Operations concluded a three-day coordination meeting for the Afghan National Security Force (ANSF) at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe.

KABUL, Afghanistan — At the 2010 Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Conference here March 16-17, NATO’s Senior Civilian Representative, Amb. Mark Sedwill, stressed PRTs’ role in promoting reconstruction, development and good governance throughout Afghanistan; a role that will be key to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) strategy over the next 18 months.

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.

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.

I came away encouraged and optimistic about our approach.

I've received a lot of good feedback on Afghanistan.

Yesterday President Obama laid out the strategy for Afghanistan

Well, the United States military continues to amaze me on the social media scene