NEWS ARTICLES

Congress and President Barack Obama listened to and acted on advice from the commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan over the last 18 months, said Army Gen. John F. Campbell, whose posting as commander of NATO’s Resolute Support mission and U.S. forces in Afghanistan ended March 2 when Army Gen. John W. “Mick” Nicholson Jr. succeeded him.

An Iraqi soldier with the 7th Iraqi Army Division provides security after entering a building during military operations on urban terrain (MOUT) training at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, March 10, 2016. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Joshua E. Powell)

March 10, 2016

General: ISIL contained, Taliban fracturing in Afghanistan

Fighters affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant are contained to one district in Afghanistan and the Taliban is fracturing into separate groups, the deputy chief of staff for communication for NATO's Resolute Support Mission said.

During a visit March 10 to U.S. Central Command headquarters, U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Anthony J. Rock, former Chief, Office of the Defense Representative-Pakistan, updated command staff about the U.S.-Pakistan defense relationship and challenges facing the Central and South Asia region. (U.S. Central Command photo by Marine Cpl. Jordan Belser)

March 10, 2016

Outgoing senior military representative reflects on U.S.-Pakistan defense relationship

Situated at the crossroads of Central and South Asia with a population of more than 200 million people, Pakistan is the most populous country in the CENTCOM area of responsibility and one of few nuclear powers in the region. According to the U.S. State Department, the United States and Pakistan have maintained diplomatic relations since Pakistan’s founding in 1947, but it was the events of 9/11 that led the two nations to conduct closer coordination on security and stability matters in the region.

Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., left, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, meets with Navy Adm. Kurt W. Tidd, commander, U.S. Southern Command, at the command's headquarters in Miami, March 8, 2016. (DoD photo by Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Dominique A. Pineiro)

March 9, 2016

Counter-ISIL operations aim to isolate Raqqa

Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. said Syrian Democratic Front forces and Iraqi security forces are working to prevent ISIL from using Raqqa as a planning hub or an area from which the terror group can launch attacks.

Lucca, a 12-year-old retired Marine Corps military working dog, visits Camp Pendleton Feb. 29, 2016. Lucca has been selected to receive the Dickin Medal, which acknowledges outstanding acts of bravery or devotion to duty by animals serving with the armed forces or civil defense. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Caitlin Bevel)

March 4, 2016

Marine working dog earns prestigious Dickin Medal for gallantry in Afghanistan

Lucca, a retired Marine Corps military working dog, has been selected as the first United States military working dog to receive this prestigious international award.

Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., right, Army Gen. John F. Campbell, left, and Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III salute and stand with Afghan Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah during the change-of-command ceremony on Camp Resolute Support in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 2, 2016. (Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tony Coronado)

March 2, 2016

Dunford praises Campbell’s leadership in Afghanistan

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff presented the Defense Distinguished Service Medal to Army Gen. John F. Campbell here today, saying that Campbell has made a “tremendous difference” to Afghanistan.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, brief reporters at the Pentagon, Feb. 29, 2016. (DoD photo by Army Sgt. 1st Class Clydell Kinchen)

Feb. 29, 2016

Carter highlights momentum in ISIL fight

Momentum is on the side of the coalition fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Monday, noting significant gains in Iraq and Syria.

President Barack Obama makes a point during a National Security Council meeting he convened on Counter-ISIL, at the State Department in Washington, D.C., Feb. 25, 2016. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Feb. 26, 2016

President: There will be no letup against ISIL

Even if there is a cessation of hostilities to get food and medical aid to besieged civilians in Syria, there will be no letup against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, President Barack Obama said yesterday evening at the State Department following a meeting of the National Security Council.

Wildlife biologist Scott Stopak, from the United States Department of Agriculture-Wildlife Services, fires off a pyrotechnic screamer on the flight line at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, Feb. 24, 2016. (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Bryan Bouchard)

Feb. 24, 2016

Bagram biologist keeps wildlife at bay, aircraft safe

There are several threats to aircraft flying in Afghanistan: the treacherous mountains, the unpredictable weather and of course, the occasional bird. That’s where the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing safety office’s Scott Stopak comes in.

Peshmerga soldiers rehearse urban tactical movement at a training base near Irbil, Iraq, Jan. 26, 2016. (Army photo by Spc. Jessica Hurst)

Feb. 23, 2016

U.S. general reports Iraqi forces’ successes, progress

Over the past nine months, Iraqi security forces have had significant successes and have made noticeable progress that will lead to the eventual defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the commanding general of the Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command for Operation Inherent Resolve said Tuesday.