Blog Posts tagged with "Afghanistan"

I've just returned from a three day visit to Afghanistan.

As always, Afghanistan presents a mixed picture; but I remain cautiously optimistic that we can execute our planned transition to Afghan security responsibility across the country by the end of 2014. We are continuing to build on a successful 2011 from a security perspective.

Naturally, the challenges remain: I received a sobering brief on the depth of corruption in Afghan society, for example. The narcotics challenges -- representing perhaps 15% of the gross domestic product -- are immense. The situation with neighboring Pakistan remains difficult.

Yet overall, in the security sector, I believe we are making progress.

SACEUR and U.S. EUCOM, Admiral James Stavridis during briefing by MG Abdullan at FOB Gamberi, Afghanistan.

For example, I went to visit the Afghan 201st Corps Headquarters in the eastern part of the country Loghman province. Major General Abdullah, a veteran of fighting in "Soviet times," gave a solid and professional briefing about the work his team is doing around the province. They are continuing to benefit from partnering with a US Task Force, but are very clearly in the lead operationally. Of note is the opening of the crucial routes from historical Jallalabad on the border to Kabul.  His troops seem well-equipped and motivated.

SACEUR and U.S. EUCOM, Admiral James Stavridis during conversation with Governor of Laghman Province, Mohammad Iqbal Azizi.

I also visited with Provincial Governor Azizi, an urbane and energetic civil leader. He is satisfied with the progress in this largely agrarian region, and seems genuinely convinced that the quality of life is improving. He provided many statistics to support this view, from the thousands of young girls now in school to the fact that every adult seems to have a cell phone, as well as vastly improved medical care and basic services.

SACEUR and U.S. EUCOM, Admiral James Stavridis with COM RC-W, BG Luciano Portolano at FSB Camp Arena in Herat, Afghanistan.

After a day in Kabul -- including fascinating discussions with the Russian and Indian Ambassadors to Afghanistan, among many others -- I flew out to the distant west of the country: to Herat.  An ancient city, Herat is among the most stable locations in the country. The governor there spoke with deep pride of the girls' school next to his offices, with 4,000 children enrolled.  He introduced me to his vibrant prosecutor -- a woman -- who is aggressively attacking corruption. The Italian-Spanish led force in the west has a good plan to continue transferring responsibility fully to the Afghan Security Forces to maintain stability.

In a series of good discussions with our NATO Commanders, I came away with a sense that the transition to Afghan led security is on track.

Today about 50% of the population is under Afghan led security, and 40% of all operations in the country are Afghan led.  Afghans participate in over 90% of the total military operations. Coalition forces have made concrete gains on the ground, especially in the south -- Kandahar and Helmand -- where two years ago the Taliban held sway. Today the Afghan national flag flies, children are in government schools, and governance is taking hold. Overall attacks in the country are down about 10% from last year, the first drop in many years.

But as I said earlier, it is a mixed picture.  Anybody who says everything is going well is missing the mark. On the other hand, people who say everything is failing simply are refusing to look at the facts.

My personal sense is that we have a reasonable shot at completing a successful transition by the end of 2014, and if the international community continues to support the Afghan government and helps finance the security forces, I believe we can succeed.

Best,
Jim

Admiral, USN
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
Commander, US European Command
"Stronger Together"

The New Year is unfolding, and I'm thinking about Afghanistan. The good news is that we are making significant progress, especially in the security sector. The numbers of men and women killed in action among the coalition forces, an important metric, are down 20% from last year. But there are many challenges ahead.

  I think there are three keys to our success in the security sector, where NATO and the International Coalition have the largest share of the work to do.

Gen. John R. Allen, commander, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)/U.S. Forces- Afghanistan (USFOR-A) shakes hands with Maj. Gen. John Toolan, commander of ISAF's Regional Command - Southwest, July 12 in Helmand. Allen flew to RC-SW with the commander of ISAF Joint Command, Lt. Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, to get an assessment on recent efforts in the area.

The first is something we all talk about in a military context: unity of effort. Working closely with my good friend and Naval Academy classmate, General John Allen, we have agreed to put plenty of focus on that this year. From a NATO and International perspective, our goal is to achieve a true sense of "in together, out together" among the 50 troop-contributing nations.

When I attended the Bonn Conference on Afghanistan in December, with 100 nations and international organizations represented, the theme of long-term commitment was evident. In the military sphere, that means we have to pull together smoothly on the oars as we all downsize the number of coalition troops over this coming year. For example, the US will withdraw another 23,000 in 2012 and this is on top of the 10,000 who redeployed in 2011.

Which brings us to the second key: transition to Afghan Security lead. The Afghan security forces have assumed the lead responsibility for security in districts and

Afghan Air Force pilot candidates stand at attention during an official ceremony recognizing their efforts in the Afghan Air Force Conference Center, Kabul, Afghanistan, November 17, 2011. The seven students will leave for Shindand Air Base in western Afghanistan in December where they will begin the first undergraduate pilot training program to be held inside Afghan borders in more than 30 years.

 provinces holding nearly 50% of the population of Afghanistan. This is possible due to the capability and professional

development of more than 310,000 Afghan soldiers, airmen, and policemen and women. Today, the Afghan security forces are taking the vast majority of casualties in the fight, as well as training over 70% of the new recruits.

I'm confident we'll continue to support our Afghan brothers and sisters in uniform as they move forward with taking responsibility for their own security, with a plan to conclude the transition by 2014. At the Chicago NATO / ISAF summit, I have confidence the international community will commit to continuing its support to the Afghan security forces, giving lie to the Taliban's oft-repeated, but unfulfilled promise that we are soon "leaving forever."

The third key is simple: pressuring the insurgents. We've made a lot of progress, and it is reflected in the attitudes of the Afghan people. For example, the recent Asia Society annual poll of the people of Afghanistan concluded that over 85% of Afghans approve of their Army and over 75% of their Police forces -- strong improvements over the past five years. Likewise, nearly 3,000 insurgents have recently renounced violence and reintegrated back into Afghan society under the auspices of the Afghan Peace and Reintegration Program.

We are seeing great strides on the battlefield. Those who continue to fight against the Afghan Government and people have a

Afghan National Army 209th Corps artillery soldiers set up the sighting mechanism and targeting rings on a D30 artillery gun before a validation test and fire demonstration Oct. 5 at the Camp Shaheen weapons range near Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan.

choice: end your violent, extremist ways and work alongside all Afghans for a peaceful and more prosperous 2012, or chose to fight and face unrelenting pressure. We are continually capturing or killing many of their battlefield leaders, and it is my belief that their morale is decreasing and their tactics failing.

Are there significant challenges ahead? Of course. Corruption, governance, and cross-border difficulties will persist. The economy, while enjoying significant growth over the past five years, will come under pressure as the international coalition begins to reposture significant forces over the next several years.

Yet if we focus on the keys to security -- unity of effort, transition to Afghan lead, and pressuring the insurgency -- a stable, peaceful and prosperous pathway for the Afghan Government and the people of Afghanistan is possible. I believe we'll continue to see progress in 2012. Ring in the New Year.

Admiral James Stavridis
Commander
U.S. European Command

Every year the Agency for International Development gathers together their 80 mission directors from around the world. At the invitation of my good friend and colleague, AID Administrator Raj Shah, I had the chance to speak to his senior team about their extraordinary work on global issues of poverty, disease, and economic development.

Admiral Jim Stavridis discusses the importance of interagency cooperation and the key role of USAID during the 50th Anniversary USAID Mission Director's Conference.

It may seem a bit strange for a senior military officer to come and speak to the leading practitioners of "soft power;" but it was a true honor for me. It reflects our approach at the Department of Defense to support our interagency partners in helping create security where and when we can.

AID was born out of the turbulence and destruction of the Second World War. It began as the Economic Development Agency to administer the Marshall Plan, then under the auspices of both State and Commerce Departmenst -- the beginning of the idea of private-public cooperation, as many of the senior leaders came out of the private sector.

The organization was formally created by President Kennedy in 1961, and it is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. While "50" may not sound like a big number, it is impossible to quantify the hundreds of millions of people touched in positive ways by AID.

Today AID is using new technologies and approaches. With only 8,000 employees, about half of them non-US citizens in host countries, they need to be nimble and creative. Drawing on the private sector, they are pushing creative solutions to the field -- ranging from solar-powered pumps that can supply water to thousands of students in Afghanistan to new cell phone applications that put sophisticated crop production information in the hands of farmers in rural areas.

AID is innovative and fits into the vision of such global thinkers as Bill Gates, who recently delivered a paper on innovation to the G20 in Cannes, France. They are also committed to private-public partnering, something we are exploring in US European Command. AID has relationships with 300 private voluntary organizations, and over 3,000 American companies.

Dr. Rajiv Shah, USAID Administrator, thanks Admiral Stavridis for his participation and presents him with a token of appreciation on behalf of USAID.

I talked about the growing and valuable partnership between the Department of Defense and AID. In my three years as Commander of US Southern Command, I learned a great deal about the impact of development on security -- notably in Colombia, where AID did a great deal to bring a virulent insurgency under control. In those days we worked together on everything from hospital ship deployments to legal training and human rights.

Together with State Department, this interagency approach can be called "the 3Ds -- Development, Diplomacy, and Defense."

In this turbulent 21st century, we need to build fewer walls and more bridges. US AID, under the creative and able leadership of Raj Shah, is doing exactly that.

Best,
Jim

Admiral, USN
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
Commander, US European Command
"Stronger Together"

Here I am saluting Afghan police students during my visit to NPTC in Wardak, Afghanistan.

I just attended literacy training -- in Wardak Province, Afghanistan.

The class was full of Afghan National Police recruits.

It is part of the ongoing effort to increase literacy in the Afghan Security Forces, led by the NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan and US Army Lieutenant General Bill Caldwell. The visit was the capstone event in a three day trip to Kabul, Kandahar, and Wardak.

Overall, the trip reinforced my sense that we are making good progress in the security sector. In briefings by the Commanding Generals in the South and East of the country -- where most of the security challenges lie -- it is clear that they have solid plans, sufficient forces, and are making steady inroads into the insurgency. In the south, for example, there are 20,000 coalition troops; but more importantly, there are over 40,000 Afghan troops. That 2:1 ratio of Afghan to coalition repeats itself in the east.

This is a big improvement over the past couple of years. It is also the reason that enemy-initiated attacks are down overall around 10% across the country from last year, and much more than that in the south and southwest. The *fighting season* has clearly been a disappointment to the Taliban who predicted a big upsurge in attacks and casualties, which has not emerged.

Afghan national police students during a dynamic presentation at NPTC in Wardak, Afghanistan.

More and more operations are Afghan-led and that is a good sign that the transition to Afghan-led security operations is well underway and working. Today, 25% of the Afghan population is under Afghan lead for security; within a few more months, that will be at 50%, which keeps us on track for a full transition by 2014.

There are certainly challenges in the security sector, including corruption (a "second insurgency" as one shrewd Afghan observer said to me recently). Also, the ability of the insurgency to move across the porous border with Pakistan presents a serious challenge to our efforts.

But overall, I remain cautiously optimistic about our plan and our progress in the security sector.

Here I am visiting Role 3 Hospital in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

On my trip I also visited a hospital and saw the energy in Kandahar city, the second largest population center in Afghanistan. I received good updates on work in the judicial sector from the NATO Rule of Law Support Force. And I met with General John Allen, our superb NATO commander and the deeply experienced US Ambassador, Ryan Crocker. I also met with the Afghan Minister of Defense and lead for Transition, as well as the Chief of the Afghan Armed Forces. They have a clear-eyed view of the challenges ahead and are addressing them in a measured and sensible fashion.

But let me focus for a moment on literacy. The ability to read is limited in large segments of the Afghan population. Why? Because the Taliban largely restricted attendance to school during their period in power. They only allowed 600,000 children to attend school, all of them boys. Today there are 8 million boys and girls in school (40% female), so Afghanistan will "grow their way out" of the problem in another few years.

But today, there is a high demand for literate Afghans in all walks of life for the economy. One way the security forces can recruit for their all-volunteer force is by offering literacy training. So today all Army and Police recruits who cannot read undergo a well-taught course that starts them toward real literacy. The courses are taught by Afghan civilians, and I had the opportunity to spend some time in one of the classrooms.

Here I am speaking to Afghan police students during my visit to NPTC.

Two dozen very earnest young men in their early-to-mid twenties sit in a circle around their instructor. He is using traditional methods of teaching -- a white board, calling students to the blackboard to display their skills, books with pictures and letters. The course is fast-paced because the young recruits are hungry to learn. You can see it in their eyes and in the way their books are very thoroughly handled and marked up. The goal is to get everyone up to a 3rd grade level, and to afford downstream opportunities to continue to improve. So far, 200,000 Afghan security force members have been through or are enrolled in the training. This will be a very long lasting contribution to security and stability in Afghanistan.

Outside the classroom, not everything is going well, of course. There will be economic challenge in the next several years as the NATO-led coalition gradually reduces troops numbers and the purchase of goods and services slows in the country. Governance and corruption will present challenges as well. International conferences in Istanbul, Bonn, and the NATO summit in Chicago next spring will need to help address these problems.

But when I look back at where we were in the spring of 2009, two-and-a-half years ago, I can see the progress -- especially in the development of the Afghan security forces and the ongoing transition. I visit Afghanistan frequently, and my sense at this moment is that there is indeed hope in the time ahead, along with all the challenges.

Best,
Jim

Admiral, USN
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
Commander, US European Command
"Stronger Together"

I’ve just returned home from several days in Russia, a country which has always fascinated me. We need to learn more about Russia if we are going to find ways to improve our cooperation with them in a NATO context.

During a wreath laying ceremony at the Hall of Military Glory in Volgograd, Russia

My visit was part of NATO’s outreach and desire to develop a “true strategic partnership with Russia,” as it says in the Strategic Concept approved at the Lisbon Summit last fall. In my role as the Supreme Allied Commander, I continue to search for zones of cooperation with the Russian military.

The meetings in Moscow and Volgograd were all very useful. I spent lots of time with my colleague and friend General Nikolay Makarov, the energetic and thoughtful Chief of the General Staff (the counterpart of newly installed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Marty Dempsey).

Joint press statement at the Russian MoD

General Makarov is working hard on reforming the Russian military, including developing a professional NCO corps, enhanching officer training and mobility, creating a new rational command structure, focusing on more high technology weapons systems and changing tactical structures to include a brigade-level combat formation. He faces great challenges, but is attacking them directly.

We also talked about the US missile defense system for Europe, which is beginning to take shape. This eight year project will arrive in phases and it consists of AEGIS missile ships at sea, land-based radars and eventually land-based missiles systems.

Wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow.

The US missile defense system will eventually connect with a NATO structure, and the hope is to achieve some level of coordination and cooperation with Russia. While there are technical and political challenges which we discussed frankly, I remain very hopeful and cautiously optimistic these can be overcome through dialog and transparency on both sides — time will tell.

In meetings with Foreign Minister Lavrov and National Security Advisor Patrushef, we also discussed missile defense. I met with Ambassador Dimitry Rogozin, the Russian Ambassador to NATO, who is the practical connection at the political level on all of these efforts.

Two other key topics were Afghanistan and piracy operations — in both spheres we have good cooperation with the Russian Federation. In Afghanistan, Russia has been broadly supportive of coalition efforts including affording us key transit rights, selling and donating equipment to the Afghans, and helping strongly on counter-narcotic efforts.

The piracy operation is likewise a good model of cooperation, with Russian ships alongside NATO vessels (and ships from the European Union, many Gulf states, China, and India as well). While the challenges off the Horn of Africa persist, Russian cooperation and coordination has been very helpful and we discussed how to improve it.

Battle of Stalingrad war memorial: "Motherland Calls"

On the final day, while flying home, I visited in the south of Russia with the leadership of the Russia’s Southern Military District Commander. We focused on their recent military exercises and regional security perspectives.

While there, I had a chance to see the massive memorial to the Battle of Stalingrad. It is a huge statue of a Russian woman with a sword, inspiring and protecting those headed into battle. In 1942, in perhaps the pivotal battle of Europe, nearly 3 million people died during the roughly 200 days of the battle. At the briefings later, one of the Russian Generals said simply but emotionally, “they died for Russia.”

While we certainly have areas of disagreement with Russia, the potential to improve an already reasonable level of operational cooperation with NATO is high. This trip convinced me that we should continue to pursue ways in which NATO and Russia can work together.

Best,
Jim

Admiral, USN
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
Commander, US European Command
“Stronger Together” 

This coming week, the 28 Ministers of Defense of the NATO alliance will gather in Brussels for meetings and discussions. They will be accompanied by another 22 Ministers from additional troop contributing nations in Afghanistan — in essence, the entire coalition will be represented.

NAC meeting in Defence Ministers session in June 2011.

As Supreme Allied Commander, one of my jobs is to brief the Ministers.

I’ll be talking about Afghanistan, but also about Libya, Kosovo, and several other key topics. It should be a busy and important week as our Secretary General, Anders Rasmussen, really begins the push toward the big NATO summit in late summer of 2012.

Adm Stavridis during his visit to Camp Ghazi, Afghanistan, watching NCO training, June 2011

On Afghanistan, I will present an honest picture of a challenging operation. My own sense is that we continue to make reasonable progress in the security sphere. I can tick off the indicators of progress, including topping 300,000 Afghan security forces trained and in the field; many key insurgents captured or killed; a successful transition to Afghan led security in 25% of Afghanistan, with a plan for another 25% in the coming months; 120,000 Afghan security personnel in literacy training to give a few examples.

There are, of course, challenges. Of note, recent attacks in Kabul (although deaths were very few, they achieved a great deal of publicity) and the assassination of Professor Rabbanni, who had led the reconciliation commission are setbacks. And the Haqanni network continues to be a thorn in the side of progress, as well as ongoing need to tackle corruption. So it is a mixed picture, but one that I would say shows progress toward our goal of turning over full transition to Afghan led security operations by the end of 2014.

In terms of Libya, the picture is reasonably good. Our missions of protecting civilians, conducting an arms embargo, and enforcing a no-fly zone are coming to a successful conclusion. When the last few Kaddaffy forces surrender, which I would anticipate within a few weeks at most, we will be prepared to recommend an end to NATO military operations.
When to conclude and under what criteria are of course political decisions, but I’m sure the Ministers will discuss that following my operational brief.

SACEUR during his visit to Kosovo, May 2011

As I look at the Balkans, I’m a bit worried by recent violence in the north. It is incumbent on all parties to work toward a peaceful, negotiated solution. Our NATO forces, ably led by German two-star General Erhard Dreves, will continue to preserve a safe and secure environment so that the EU can facilitate a peaceful dialog.

So it is a busy time around the alliance, with 160,000 Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen engaged in active service on three continents. I will do my best to present an honest, balanced, and coherent picture to the Ministers as they undertake the hard policy and political work of deciding how we go forward in our important work.

Best,
Jim

Admiral, USN
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
Commander, US European Command
“Stronger Together”

I'm flying over the Caspian Sea, returning from three days in Afghanistan.  It was an eventful visit, my tenth over the past twenty months or so.

I'm with AFG CHoD General Karimi at an honour guard ceremony in Kabul, Afghanistan

The key impression I take back to NATO is one of progress, especially in the security sector.  I am heartened especially by the addition of over 70,000 Afghan National Security Forces since the beginning of 2010.  Their quality is improving as well as their numbers, with both the Army and the Police scoring over 80% in approval polls among Afghans nation-wide.  Their marksmanship scores have almost tripled and their literacy rate is climbing rapidly, as over 90,000 of the 270,000 total have completed some level of literacy training.

An ANA recruit at Kabul Military Training Center said, “The Taliban wanted to keep me in the dark. The Army is teaching me to read and write so I can come into the light and make my own decisions.”   This is a very inexpensive and positive part of training the Afghan Security Forces receive and will reap long term dividends for stability in Afghanistan.  It was an idea Ambassador Richard Holbrooke helped me to understand a couple of years ago and it shows real promise.

While corruption and a stubborn insurgency continue to hamper progress, my sense is that three transitions are in progress in Afghanistan.

Meeting with Gen. Petraeus before he finishes his time in Afghanistan.

The first is a leadership transition among the NATO military forces.  General Petraeus is departing, and is being relieved by the highly qualified and gifted Marine General John Allen.  The three-star operational commander is also changing out, as is the three-star training commander.  In both cases, the officers selected have extensive combat experience and impeccable records.  We are carefully managing this important leadership transition within the NATO command structure to ensure it is smooth.

A second transition is the most obvious one: from coalition-led security operations to Afghan-led security operations in seven key provinces and districts, representing over 25% of the total population.  This includes Kabul, where the Afghan security forces have had the lead in repelling several recent insurgent attacks.  Even the attack on the Intercontinental Hotel was largely defeated by Afghan Forces, and was contained within hours, causing only a handful of casualties.  As a point of comparison, the Mumbai attacks in 2008, where a similar number of terrorists struck, killed or wounded nearly 500 and paralyzed the vastly larger city for two days.

This key security force transition will be the crucial leading edge of our effort to give full, across-the-nation Afghan leadership in all security operations by the end of 2014.  General Petraeus and I are both confident this transition is on track and it begins in earnest next month.

The third transition is really just beginning, and I would call this the "deep transition."  This is preparing both the 48-nation coalition and the Afghan government for the post-2014 period.  There will clearly be a large reduction in coalition forces from our current level of over 140,000.  This will cause not only military changes, but also important economic changes.  We need to think now about the bridging strategy for the Afghan economy to ensure the bottom doesn't fall out suddenly post-2014.

This leads to the need for work to define what the post-2014 period should look like in terms of partnership between Afghanistan and the coalition.  With an important meeting in Bonn in December and the NATO summit next spring in Chicago, there are good opportunities to establish the plan.  Certainly long term sustainability of the rapidly developing Afghan Security Forces should be part of that.

I'm watching great NCO training at Camp Ghazi, Afghanistan.

We've invested a great deal in Afghanistan, and I believe our efforts have a reasonable chance at succeeding over the next several years.  There will certainly be setbacks like the current Kabul Bank crisis, terrorist attacks, and ongoing governance issues, as well as a complex situation with Pakistan to manage; but in the end, the effort will be worth it.

We must ensure that Afghanistan does not fall back into Taliban hands and again become a base for terror, and our commitments -- those of 48 troop contributing nations and more than 70 financially contributing nations -- should be honored.

It won't always be smooth sailing, but I think we're on the right course.

Adm. James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

Click through the photos with the arrow below to see the video of Adm. Stavridis' speech.

The following is a speech I gave last night at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City where I humbly accepted this year's Intrepid Freedom Award.  The speech gives some of my thoughts on Memorial Day through letters written by some of the fallen and their families.  Please share with me your reflections on this Memorial Day weekend.

Former Intrepid crew members and I during the event in New York City

“The Words They Leave To Us”
I want to spend my few minutes tonight with you giving voice to those who cannot be with us. I want to share with you the voices of the fallen and their families.

I want to give voice to the men and women who have given their lives for this nation.

Together, across the years of our nation’s history, they answered the call.

They stood the watch.

They looked neither left nor right.

They did not search for an exit.

They walked steadily and unafraid into mortal danger, knowing all the risks and all the costs.

On rolling ships at sea … on dusty streets under a burning sun …in the high mountain passes … and in the stormy skies … they said simply and bravely, “I will go.”

So many … too many … were lost to us forever.

But in their letters, and those of their loved ones, written in the last days of their lives, there is majesty and honesty and humility that deserve our attention as we approach this Memorial Day.

So tonight, I’d simply like to share with you excerpts from several timeless letters—words written by our nation’s military heroes and their families…who have borne this great country through times of peril and darkness – who have sacrificed so much…so that we could be here tonight rendering our own salute to freedom.

These are beautiful and sad letters … some of them from grieving parents talking about their lost sons and daughters … others, the “last” letter home that begins with the heart-breaking phrase, “If you are reading this letter, it is because I am gone …”

Let me begin with the Civil War, and a letter written by Major Sullivan Ballou, a 32-year old member of the Second Regiment of Rhode Island Volunteers, who died in the Battle of Bull Run.

He wrote to his wife, Sarah, just five days before the battle that would cost his life:

“My very dear Sarah, the indications are very strong that we shall move in a few days—perhaps tomorrow.  Lest I should not be able to write you again, I feel impelled to write lines that may fall under your eye when I shall be no more … Sarah: my love for you is deathless.

It seems to bind me to you with mighty cables that nothing but omnipotence could break: and yet my love of country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me irresistibly on with all these chains to the battlefield.  Never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battlefield, it will whisper your name.  Do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for thee, for we shall meet again.”

The second letter comes from World War I.  A grieving father from this very city writes the following about the loss of his son. “It is hard to open the letters from those you love who are dead; but Quentin’s last letters, written during his three weeks at the front, when of his squadron, on average, a man was killed every day, are written with real joy in the ‘great adventure.’ He was engaged to a very beautiful girl, of very fine and high character; it is heartbreaking for her, as well as for his mother. He had his crowded hour, he died at the crest of life, in the glory of the dawn.”

Quentin was a pilot who was shot down and died behind German lines just months before the end of World War I in 1918.  The dead son’s full name was Quentin Roosevelt, the youngest son of former President Theodore Roosevelt, a New York father who lost his beloved son.

Memorial Day, here in this wonderful setting in New York City, would be incomplete without honoring and remembering those who are serving and sacrificing right now: our nation’s youth, America’s sons and daughters, who are fighting yet another battle—struggling to bring peace and freedom to Iraq and Afghanistan—while keeping us all safe from those that would do us harm.

We have lost many brave men and women in Iraq.  Army Private First Class Diego Rincon of Georgia wrote his mother a “last letter home.”

“Whether I make it or not, it’s all part of the plan.  It can’t be changed, only completed.  “Mother” will be the last word I’ll say.  Your face will be the last picture that goes through my eyes.  I just hope that you’re proud of what I am doing and have faith in my decisions.  I will try hard and not give up.  I just want to say sorry for anything I have ever done wrong.  And I’m doing it all for you, Mom.  I love you.”

Another letter from Iraq, this one from US Army Captain Michael MacKinnon, to his young daughter Madison:

“Madison, I’m sorry I broke my promise to you when I said I was coming back.  You were the jewel of my life.  I don’t think anyone would ever be good enough for you.  Stay beautiful, stay sweet.  You will always be daddy’s little girl.”

Captain Michael MacKinnon died in October, 2005, in Iraq.

More recently, another father gave voice and image to his son—a Marine Lieutenant lost in today’s conflict in Afghanistan.

“Robert was killed protecting our country, its people, and its values from a terrible and relentless enemy in Afghanistan.  We are a broken-hearted but proud family.  He was a wonderful and precious boy living a meaningful life.  He was in exactly the place he wanted to be, doing exactly what he wanted to do, surrounded by the best men on this earth—his Marines and a Navy Doc.”

This letter was written by a cherished friend of mine, Marine Lieutenant General John Kelly.

* * *

What can we learn from these powerful letters?

To answer that, let me close with excerpts from just one more letter. It was written from Iraq as a “just in case” letter by Private First Class Jesse A. Givens, a letter to be delivered to his wife and children only in the event of his death.

“My family,” he writes, “I never thought that I would be writing a letter like this. I really don't know where to start.  The happiest moments in my life all deal with my little family. I will always have with me the small moments we all shared. The moments when we quit taking life so serious and smiled.  The sounds of a beautiful boy's laughter or the simple nudge of a baby unborn.  You will never know how complete you have made me…I did not want to have to write this letter. There is so much more I need to say, so much more I need to share…Please keep my babies safe. Please find it in your heart to forgive me for leaving you alone. . . Teach our babies to live life to the fullest, tell yourself to do the same.

I will always be there with you…Do me a favor, after you tuck the children in, give them hugs and kisses from me.  Go outside and look at the stars and count them.  Don't forget to smile.

Love Always, Your husband, Jess.”

The letter was delivered in May 2003, two weeks before the birth of their son and just after his death in combat …

*  *  *

So again, I ask, what can we take from these letters, so sweet and sad and powerful in their simplicity and honesty?

First, and most importantly, that we are a lucky nation indeed to have such men and women, who say to us, “I will go.”

Second, that their words matter.  Their lives had weight and importance.  That we read their letters and in events like this, respect them and grieve with their families for their loss.  And perhaps most importantly, that we support their families.  That is what INTREPID is all about.

Third, a lesson for all of us who go on in this world, safe and protected due to the sacrifice of others: we should live our lives to the fullest.

To that end, I’d like to close on this magical night on board this historic ship by repeating the words of young Private First Class Jess Givens—who will be forever young in our hearts and our prayers.  What he has to tell is us far more profound than anything this aging Admiral has to say:

He said:

Hug and kiss your children

Go outside and look at the stars

Don’t forget to smile

That is pretty good advice for a Memorial Day … or any day.

In the end, what else really matters?

So let us remember our heroes—those of our past and those of our present who walk among us right now.

Again, this is THEIR award.  I am proud only to give voice to them tonight.

God Bless you all and God Bless America.

Adm. James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

Last night I was honored to receive the Distinguished Military Leadership Award from the Atlantic Council. Here are the remarks I made (or at least what I spoke from) during the dinner. ~ADM Stavridis

Thank you very much, Jim [Jones], for that extremely generous introduction. You could say between SACEUR 14 and SACEUR 16, you have the “long and the short” of it. Indeed, some would say the procession from Jim Jones, a towering figure, to my -- shall we say more compact -- frame, might indicate a diminishing of the Alliance, but I will try my best to look taller tonight.

Mr. Vice President, fellow honorees, distinguished guests, friends and colleagues, members and supporters of the Atlantic Council, all of you—good evening!

Let me particularly thank Fred Kempe, Senator Chuck Hagel, and the entire team at the Atlantic Council. So many close friends are here tonight, and I thank you all for coming.

By the looks of the agenda, I also think the Atlantic Council has a wonderful program in store for everyone tonight. You know, living in Europe affords the chance to see and learn about new and different cultures—which by the way is one of the most important things we can do to help create security in this turbulent 21st century.

As one example, I was recently fortunate enough to attend the opera Don Carlo, and I was really moved by the experience. So moved in fact, that I began secretly taking operatic singing lessons. I mentioned this new-found hobby to Plácido Domingo during the reception (he received the Distinguished Artistic Leadership Award last night), and boy are you all in for a real treat -- because he has asked me to accompany him on stage and sing an aria … “La Donna et Mobile” …I know it will be a performance you will remember for years … (I was planning to get a few laughs here.)

Seriously, I’m proud to accept this award on behalf of the seven million active and reserve Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who make up the military arm of this grand alliance. Today more than 150,000 of them are engaged in what the British would call “active service” on three continents – in Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, the Balkans, and off the coast of Africa on piracy patrol, in Iraq.

They are also deeply engaged in the collective defense of the alliance, training and exercising together throughout Europe and North America. Their efforts create partnerships with nations all around the Mediterranean and in the Arabian Gulf, as well as with more than twenty Asian nations as part of the Partnership for Peace program, begun under the visionary leadership of General Jones.

Looking to the future, the men and women of the alliance are today exploring our role in cyber and missile defense. We are engaged in bringing on line new technologies ranging from unmanned aircraft to advanced command and control networks. And we are seeking to build a true strategic partnership with Russia, as called for in the strategic concept accepted last fall for the 28 nations of the alliance.

NATO is a vibrant alliance, with nearly half of the world’s gross domestic product to draw upon and more importantly a deep dedication to democracy, liberty, freedom of expression, and all the values that make life worth living. It remains part of the core strategic architecture of the United States, and I would argue is among the most successful alliances in world history.

I recently visited Trapani Air Base in western Sicily where a large contingent of multi-national air forces are operating in support of Libyan operations. As always, the closer to the fight, the better things tend to look. And they looked good in Trapani. Side-by-side, Italians, Canadians, Brits, Americans, and indeed representatives from each nation in the alliance proudly lead the air effort which is enforcing UN security council resolutions.

They reflect a major air-sea campaign in progress. Since NATO took over the Libyan mission, just over a month ago, we have launched well over 5,000 total aircraft sorties. More than 2,000 of them have been strike and suppression of air defenses. While the US provides about 25% of the support sorties (intelligence, refueling, surveillance, reconnaissance, suppression of enemy air defense), the rest of the coalition provides the remaining 75%.

We have hailed and boarded hundreds of ships at sea as well. Of the 15 ships enforcing the embargo, only 1 or 2 are from the US. The entire 28-nation NATO alliance, plus so far 6 additional nations (Sweden, Ukraine, and four Arab countries) are supporting the effort in some capacity.

Our work, I believe, has saved the lives of tens of thousands of innocent citizens terrorized and threatened by the authoritarian regime condemned by the international community. We continue to enforce an arms embargo, conduct a no-fly zone, and attack the forces of the regime that threaten the civilian population. This will give the international community the time to bring economic, political, and diplomatic tools to bear and resolve the ongoing crisis.

In this very real sense, NATO and its coalition partners are showing once how adaptive and enduring its fundamental principles and capabilities are important to the future of our collective security. And Libya is only the latest mission, adding to the work done in the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere. I also point with pride to the humanitarian work the Alliance has done in Pakistan in response to both floods and earthquakes over the past few years.

I believe this all reflects a NATO alliance that is a force for good in the world. We are far from perfect, but our collective efforts help create security and bring some measure of stability in a dangerous world. In the sixty years since NATO was formed, I think we have contributed and will continue to do so in important ways.

You know, I have a very exalted title … “Supreme Allied Command.” What I REALLY am is the Operations Officer for the Alliance. So let me close with a final operational thought.

I accept this award with great thanks not for myself, but on behalf of the operators … the men and women who sail at sea … fly long missions in the air … and patrol dusty streets and over high mountains ashore ... all on dangerous operational service. They stand the watch tonight so that we may be safe and secure in our homes, and this is THEIR award, not mine.

Think of them as you celebrate this night, and continue to support them in their important work.

It's been a long decade, but a key step in the global effort to end violent extremism has been achieved, executed by incredibly dedicated professionals.

There are countless ways to react to the killing of Osama bin Laden.  Many will celebrate.  Others will reflect on the sacrifices and losses associated with bin Laden and the violence he promoted.  Some will make jokes, and some will choose not to acknowledge his death at all.

As for me?  I choose to focus on the sacrifices of the countless men and women who helped to achieve this milestone and to remain focused on the work that lies ahead.  The death of Osama bin Laden, while significant, does not end our involvement in Afghanistan.  We will need to remain vigilant.

If you haven't done so already, you may wish to revisit the President's speech, and if you're willing to share your reaction to the news, I'd welcome it.

Adm. James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

Amidst all the attention, appropriately, to Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, Japan, Yemen and other ongoing events around the world, there was an important and noteworthy development in Afghanistan yesterday.

President Hamid Karzai announced on the 22nd of March that the Afghan National Security Forces (army and police) would take the lead and responsibility for security in seven crucial locations around the country -- covering 20-25% of the population of that nation.

Secretary General Rasmussen remarked that, “This represents the next stage of Afghanistan’s journey, not the destination. And every step of the way will be determined by conditions on the ground."

There are more stages and hard work ahead of us, yet. President Karzai said in his speech, “This is our responsibility to raise our flag with honor and pride," NATO fully concurs and supports this Afghan decision; we are proud to see our Afghan partners start to take ownership of security responsibilities.

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Darin Pugh shows two Afghan National Police members some of the operations of a 30-ton wrecker during a formal training. (Photo courtesy ISAF)

The locations chosen for the transition this year include Kabul Province, including Kabul; the provinces of Bamyan and Panjshir; the medium-sized cities of Herat (a vibrant commercial center in the west), Mazar-e-Sharif (the largest city in the north), and Lashgar Gah (an important agricultural city in the south); and the city of Mehtar Lam (capital of Laghman Province). These spots are spread around key regions and will serve as anchors as the transition expands in the months and years ahead.

This transition is the first step in a process that has as its goal full Afghan security leadership throughout the country by the end of 2014. I believe this is realistic and achievable, and the continuing improvement in quality and quantity of the Afghan Security Forces is testament to that.

Here I'm talking to Afghan National Army trainees at the Kabul Military Training Center (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Sarah Brown/RELEASED)

Today there are more than 270,000 Afghan National Security Forces, with a goal to produce a total of 305,000 by October of this year. That effort is on track. The NATO Training Mission Afghanistan, ably led by Lieutenant General Bill Caldwell has produced a "silent surge" of Afghan National Security Forces -- 70,000 in 2010 -- that is making this transition possible. Naturally, there are challenges in attrition and retention, but the steady flow of recruits and the gradually improving training is helping.

Their training covers everything from literacy (more than 100,000 are learning to read) to marksmanship, tactics, counter-IED, first aid, and all the skills of counter-insurgency and combat. There are 12 Afghan speciality training schools teaching everything from logistics to artillery. And the National Military Academy, modeled on West Point, has 600 students per class for a four-year curriculum and more than 5,000 applicants for the 600 spots.

Whenever I visit Afghanistan I meet with Afghan troops. Their courage and commitment is evident, and I blogged a few weeks ago about meeting a platoon of female officers who really impressed me. This is real progress, with Afghan leadership and effort, and I'm cautiously optimistic as we proceed forward.


Adm. James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

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.

North Atlantic Council (NAC) in Defence Ministers Session. Photo by SGC Edouard Bocquet, French Air Force

On Afghanistan, the meeting was attended by not only the 28 NATO Defense Ministers, but also their counterparts from around the world. There are 48 troop contributing nations in the coalition in Afghanistan today and all were represented at a very senior level. As an example of the "larger than NATO" group, I had a good meeting with the Honorable Stephen Smith, the Defense Minister of Australia -- they contribute more than 1,500 troops in Uruzgan Province and are doing superb work.

I briefed the Ministers as did General Dave Petraeus, who flew into Brussels en route to the US, where he will testify in front of the US Congress about our progress and challenges in Afghanistan.

Both our briefs highlighted the progress to date and the challenges ahead. In the progress category, we addressed the "silent surge" of nearly 70,000 Afghan Security Forces; there are now 270,000 Afghan police and army across the country. Operations in southern Afghanistan are conducted in a ratio of 1:1 coalition and Afghan forces. The Afghans absorb 75% of the casualties. They are showing their readiness to begin the transition process this summer.

The challenges include corruption, difficulties across regional borders (we just discovered a significant cache of Iranian projectiles in western Afghanistan), and implementing governance evenly across the country. Yet even there we see progress: Marjah, in southern Afghanistan, which just over a year ago was run by the Taliban, recently had a 75% turnout for their local elections. Schools are literally packed to capacity. And the numbers of weapons caches revealed to coalition troops by local Afghans has increased fivefold in a year -- a key counter-insurgency metric.

So both Dave and I spoke of "cautious optimism" and "progress that is fragile," but compared to where we were a year ago, I'm heartened.

NATO Secretary General, H.E. Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, during his welcome remarks at the meeting of Defence Ministers, NAC, NATO HQ, Brussels, Belgium. Photo by SGC Edouard Bocquet, French Air Force

Libya was a complicated discussion, as all the nations realize the challenges of the situation there. NATO is conducting 24/7 surveillance with AWACS -- NATO’s eyes in the sky -- and ships under my command from the central Mediterranean, and we are preparing detailed plans for a range of options, as Secretary-General Rasmussen said after the conclusion of the conference. A United Nations Security Council mandate will be key, and whatever the Alliance does must meet the tests of need, legality, and regional support. Much will change over the next few days, as the situation is very fluid.

The Ministers also touched on everything else we are doing operationally, from piracy to air policing to plans for missile defense and new technology to relations with Russia and the situation in the Balkans.

For an Alliance passing 60 years, we sure are busy!

Adm. James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

The annual Munich Security Conference is a bit like the Oscars for national security professionals, except the clothing isn't as glamorous.

There is something of a red carpet, a press of media, crowds everywhere, the buzz of deal cutting and gossiping, all held in an elegant 18th century hotel in the heart of Bavaria.

German MoD Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg and NATO SEC GEN Anders Fogh Rasmussen. Image by Sebastian Kelm SGT German Army

Walking the halls of the conference and attending the meetings -- which are streamed live around the world -- is a startling experience. You walk around a corner and see Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, President Hamid Karzai, Chancellor Angela Merkel, Prime Minister David Cameron, Senator John McCain, Secretary Generals Ban Ki-Moon of the United Nations and Anders Fogh Rasmussen of NATO.

Always run on the first weekend in February, the conference seeks to bring international relations professionals, academics, journalists, humanitarian aid leaders, and security specialists together for an open, transparent, and public conversation on the hot topics of the year.

This year, I was invited to be part of a panel discussion on Afghanistan. It was kicked off by President Karzai, and the panel upon which I sat included Dr. Spanta, the National Security Advisor of Afghanistan, Michele Flournoy, the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, and Senator Joe Lieberman from the Senate Armed Services Committee. It was a lively two hour session.

The panel for "NATO and Afghanistan: A Regional Approach?" at the Munich Security Conference, Germany. Image by Sebastian Kelm SGT German Army

In addition to the pure security topics, there was an interesting exchange of views between the participants as to timing of transition in Afghanistan. Instead of the "normal" topic of transitioning military operations (which will begin this year and continue through 2014), this conversation was about transitioning other functions -- such as Provincial Reconstruction Teams and Private Security Firms.

This is an important issue. The Afghan government rightly wants to vest the leadership of these key functions (development and security) within the governance space of their administration. The international community wants to have a dialog about the best timing to accomplish this.

What's important is that the push to transition functions of governance besides security is underway. It is a clear sign that our Afghan partners are continuing to focus on how we can shift the key efforts in Afghanistan to their hands.

US Sen. Joe Lieberman, me, Gen. Stphane Abrial and Adm. Giampaolo Di Paola. Image by Sebastian Kelm SGT German Army

Munich is a superb venue for conversations like this. Other topics included of course events in Egypt; the future of missile defense in Europe; cyber security; and the need for European nations to spend sufficiently on defense (check out this superb speech by NATO Secretary General).

While there wasn't lots of free champagne flowing, it was a very exciting environment to move forward on the key international security issues of our complex times.

Adm. James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

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.

To date, more than 30,000 shipping containers passed through USEUCOM’s geographical area of responsibility on supply routes known as the Northern Distribution Network (NDN). Most of the container contents include consumable supplies and materials originating in the United States and Western Europe. While the NDN demonstrates a global distribution capability, opportunities exist to reduce transit time and shipping costs by purchasing items from qualified sources along the NDN closer to Afghanistan.

Last September, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) teamed with the General Services Administration (GSA), the United States Embassy in Latvia, and USEUCOM to host a procurement conference in Riga, Latvia. A major NDN shipping port and developed European Union economy make Riga an attractive market from which to purchase supplies and materials to support the ISAF mission. One hundred nine Latvian businesses attended this conference to showcase their products and learn how to register and compete for contract opportunities.

Early results from the Riga conference are promising. The Latvian business publication, Dienas Bizness, reported this month that DLA placed an order with a local food company for bottled water and juice directly attributed to the September conference.

DLA evaluated a number of businesses that show high potential as long-term sources for future contracts. The engagement in Latvia follows the path of NDN procurement conferences the USEUCOM co-sponsored with United States Transportation Command in May 2010 in the Southern Caucasus countries of Georgia and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan emerged as a leading DLA fuel source and Georgia’s importance as a GSA supplier grew significantly during 2010.

Ultimately, businesses must offer quality products at competitive prices to serve as government suppliers, but the potential to significantly increase the number of suppliers along the NDN is very real. Continued engagement with local businesses and economies is yet another way USEUCOM, its interagency partners, and allied nations are Stronger Together.

Maj. Michael Belko, US Air Force
Chief, Operational Contract Support
EUCOM J4

Last week, I had a good visit to Afghanistan -- three days, including a swing through Helmand in the south.

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.

This is especially significant because Helmand and Kandahar have historically been the heart of the insurgency and the Taliban's stronghold. They've been pushed out of some of the most important terrain to them. Of the 34 provinces in Afghanistan, Helmand accounts for 45% percent of the violence -- if we can succeed here, we're on track for overall success.

Here I am getting an operational update of the progress in Afghanistan by General David Petraeus. Photo by MSGT Edouard Bocquet, French Air Force

We are beginning transition in 2011 with a goal of full transition to Afghan-led security operations across the entire country by 2014. During my time with General Dave Petraeus and his team, I was briefed on their proposed transition plan. It looks good. We'll formally review it shortly and move up to NATO headquarters for final approval.

In the months ahead, we'll continue to see fighting and losses, especially in the south. There are big challenges ahead -- governance, corruption, and difficulties with cross-border operations from Pakistan -- but overall, I am cautiously optimistic.

I spent my third and final day with the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan at the Kabul Military Training Facility (KMTC). As we drove from one side of KMTC to the other, I witnessed Afghans training on everything from simple battle drills like React to Contact, to complex Route Clearance Drills, drivers training, and marksmanship. Some of these training events were being run by ISAF forces; however, more and more, Afghans are taking over the training of their own security forces. This is a significant milestone toward a truly self-sustaining and self-generating Security Force.

I want to give you a sense of one event that said a great deal to me:

Before boarding our plane for the return trip to Belgium, I attended the Commissioning Ceremony and the swearing of the military oath by two dozen young women joining the Afghan National Army. It was an emotional moment.

I'm shaking hands with the newly graduated female officer candidates after attending their oath (commisionning) ceremony. Photo by MSGT Edouard Bocquet, French Air Force

They stood in a tight military formation under a picture of the Afghan heroine Malalai of Maiwand, famous for her role in defending her country in the 19th century. After marching, each of them swore, "I am a loyal daughter to the people of Afghanistan ... I will be a disciplined officer of this country ... I will be loyal and honest ... my priorities will be defending territorial integrity, national freedom ... I will even spill my blood in serving my country ... May God help us to succeed."

Think how that picture looks to the Taliban. It is part of a country where today 7 million children go to school, with 3 million of them young girls. Under the Taliban, no females were allowed to attend school. The young women officers are part of the new generation of women emerging in Afghanistan. I chatted with each of them, and all were articulate and impressive. They are the new face of Afghanistan, and I believe they will help lead their country to a brighter future.

Amidst all the challenges, there is reason for hope. These young women are part of that.

Adm. James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

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.

To date, more than 30,000 shipping containers passed through USEUCOM’s geographical area of responsibility on supply routes known as the Northern Distribution Network (NDN). Most of the container contents include consumable supplies and materials originating in the United States and Western Europe. While the NDN demonstrates a global distribution capability, opportunities exist to reduce transit time and shipping costs by purchasing items from qualified sources along the NDN closer to Afghanistan.

Last September, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) teamed with the General Services Administration (GSA), the United States Embassy in Latvia, and USEUCOM to host a procurement conference in Riga, Latvia. A major NDN shipping port and developed European Union economy make Riga an attractive market from which to purchase supplies and materials to support the ISAF mission. One hundred nine Latvian businesses attended this conference to showcase their products and learn how to register and compete for contract opportunities.

Early results from the Riga conference are promising. The Latvian business publication, Dienas Bizness, reported this month that DLA placed an order with a local food company for bottled water and juice directly attributed to the September conference.

DLA evaluated a number of businesses that show high potential as long-term sources for future contracts. The engagement in Latvia follows the path of NDN procurement conferences the USEUCOM co-sponsored with United States Transportation Command in May 2010 in the Southern Caucasus countries of Georgia and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan emerged as a leading DLA fuel source and Georgia’s importance as a GSA supplier grew significantly during 2010.

Ultimately, businesses must offer quality products at competitive prices to serve as government suppliers, but the potential to significantly increase the number of suppliers along the NDN is very real. Continued engagement with local businesses and economies is yet another way USEUCOM, its interagency partners, and allied nations are Stronger Together.

Maj. Michael Belko, US Air Force
Chief, Operational Contract Support
EUCOM J4

Last week, I had a good visit to Afghanistan -- three days, including a swing through Helmand in the south.

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.

This is especially significant because Helmand and Kandahar have historically been the heart of the insurgency and the Taliban's stronghold. They've been pushed out of some of the most important terrain to them. Of the 34 provinces in Afghanistan, Helmand accounts for 45% percent of the violence -- if we can succeed here, we're on track for overall success.

In the months ahead, we'll continue to see fighting and losses, especially in the south. There are big challenges ahead -- governance, corruption, and difficulties with cross-border operations from Pakistan -- but overall, I am cautiously optimistic.

I spent my third and final day with the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan at the Kabul Military Training Facility (KMTC). As we drove from one side of KMTC to the other, I witnessed Afghans training on everything from simple battle drills like React to Contact, to complex Route Clearance Drills, drivers training, and marksmanship. Some of these training events were being run by ISAF forces; however, more and more, Afghans are taking over the training of their own security forces. This is a significant milestone toward a truly self-sustaining and self-generating Security Force.

I want to give you a sense of one event that said a great deal to me:

Before boarding our plane for the return trip to Belgium, I attended the Commissioning Ceremony and the swearing of the military oath by two dozen young women joining the Afghan National Army. It was an emotional moment.

Think how that picture looks to the Taliban. It is part of a country where today 7 million children go to school, with 3 million of them young girls. Under the Taliban, no females were allowed to attend school. The young women officers are part of the new generation of women emerging in Afghanistan. I chatted with each of them, and all were articulate and impressive. They are the new face of Afghanistan, and I believe they will help lead their country to a brighter future.

Amidst all the challenges, there is reason for hope. These young women are part of that.

Adm. James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

Remember the 1992 movie Under Siege with Steven Seagal playing Casey Ryback, an ex-Navy SEAL turned cook who saves the day as terrorists attack a U.S. Navy battleship? Well, 1-10 SFG (A) has their own version of Casey Ryback in Sgt. Javier Rodriguez-Torres. Although there may not be any Hollywood movies currently in production about Rodriguez-Torres’ exploits, there very well could be one day.

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.

In the first scene, the men of Forward Operating Base Kutschbach are gathered for their pre-mission meal as the sun begins to set. All seems quiet, but the enemy has other plans for the evening. Rodriguez-Torres helps his three Afghan cooks with the finishing touches to the goat kebabs they’ve prepared, making sure they are properly seasoned. Then BOOM!! The whole building thunders because a rocket has exploded outside...then another one hits! Debris falls from the ceiling and the crackling of gunfire erupts. Dinner becomes an afterthought and staying alive is now the only game in town.

Some of the base workers jump under their tables, but the gathered Green Berets immediately jump to their feet and head outside to defend the base. They flow out of the wire with partnered Afghan National Army elements to meet the attack head on. Meanwhile, Rodriguez-Torres, after first making sure his Afghan counterparts are safe, bolts out the door and into the line of fire to man the mortar pit. On his way, he hears another inbound rocket and throws himself to the ground. It explodes just above his head; he feels the heat of the blast, but incredibly remains unscathed. He and his mortar team quickly figure out from where the rocket was launched and then begin crushing that area with counter-battery fire. The enemy, knowing that a Special Forces mortar pit is a key location to eliminate, directs their fire accordingly. For the mortar men, it’s not the most comfortable place to work, but there is no room for cowardice. They do their jobs quickly and efficiently.

Cut scene to the rocket launch site, where mortars are landing everywhere and the Taliban rocket launcher is running for his life. As he mounts his motorcycle, a mortar lands right on top of him, and he disappears forever. Good guys 1 – Taliban 0.

After thwarting the attack, it’s back to the kitchen grind, because the guys all still have to eat, and now as they come back inside the perimeter, they must also conduct final preparations for tonight’s mission. Nothing stops just because the enemy decided to vote.

Sgt. Javier Rodriguez-Torres: ready for anything. Photo by MSG Donald Sparks, SOCEUR Public Affairs

Thus is the life of a cook assigned to an Army Special Forces unit, and thus is the reason Rodriguez-Torres was awarded the Bronze Star Medal on Dec. 2, 2010. While assigned to ISAF Special Operations Task Force -10 as the Forward Operating Base Kutschbach primary food specialist, he displayed the intestinal fortitude and personal courage necessary to succeed under extreme fire on multiple occasions.  He did serve as an assistant mortar gunneryman during Taliban base attacks, and his actions most certainly contributed to the success of the overall mission.  Whether he was in the kitchen, operations center or the mortar pit, he always gave everything he had.  The life is certainly not for everyone, but it is exactly where those who believe like Rodriguez-Torres belong. It’s for those who believe that they are warriors first, and as warriors, they must be mentally prepared for any situation or circumstance...kind of like Casey Ryback...only for real.

MAJ Jim Gregory
SOCEUR PAO

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.

Most importantly, we were able to deliver the three key initiatives we have been seeking for several years:

• NATO-Russia in a “true strategic partnership.” This means working with the Russians in a wide variety of venues. I’d put Afghanistan, missile defense, counter-narcotics, counter-piracy, and counter-terrorism at the top of the list. In particular, we have worked out a good set of concrete proposals for Afghanistan: logistics help to our coalition, sales of the very capable MI-17 helicopter, and possibly training of Afghan security forces in Russia. This is real progress. We’ll be working hard over the next few months to turn these potential areas of cooperation into real work together.

• Afghanistan transition plan. After briefings by both General Dave Petraeus and me, the 48 nations of the ISAF coalition agreed to a transition plan that will begin in 2011 and conclude with Afghan leadership by 2014. Coupled with the counter-insurgency strategy we have been pursuing, this sets out a very reasonable timeline for success. While the challenges remain daunting in Afghanistan, I remain cautiously optimistic that we will succeed. The key will be training the Afghan security forces to a level that permits them to take on these key responsibilities, and our NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan is doing exactly that.

• The new Strategic Concept for NATO. With the adoption of the first new Strategic Concept since 1999, the Alliance has a well defined path forward into this turbulent 21st century. The key elements of the new Strategic Concept, agreed to by all 28 NATO nations, include: Crisis Management; the Comprehensive Approach; Missile Defense; partnerships, especially with Russia; NATO Reform and Efficiencies; and cyber defense. The concept also emphasizes the traditional role of NATO as an Article V defensive Alliance, e.g. “an attack on one nation shall be viewed as an attack on all.”

Secretary General Rasmussen was superb in guiding the Alliance and the ISAF coalition members through the complex two days of dialogue and, ultimately, agreement on these three key elements.

Leaders from the Lisbon Summit

This week, the hard work begins at my headquarters in Mons, as we get to work on how to “operationalize” all of these good ideas. We have working groups tackling each of these key action items, and will be presenting our thoughts for political guidance and ultimately for implementation over the next six months.

The Summit was a good example of NATO moving out and responding to a changing world. We have lots of work ahead, but I came away with a real sense of confidence in the direction we are sailing.

Adm. James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

The historic Silk Road traversed 3 present-day US geographic commands; European Command (EUCOM), Central Command (CENTCOM) and Pacific Command (PACOM), as it wound its way from Italy in the west to China in the east by way of Afghanistan pretty much right in the middle.

Today, a “Modern Silk Road” serves as a supply link between Europe, NATO forces, and Afghanistan. Genghis Khan, Tamerlane and Alexander the Great all marched their armies along this route, into and out of Afghanistan.

As we just heard on Friday at the NATO Summit in Lisbon, as the Afghans stand up, today’s NATO “armies” will ensure that they will not stand alone. Just as the armies and cultures of the past have contributed to Afghanistan’s rich cultural heritage, NATO forces continue to do so today.

Last week, I visited a stunning exhibition in Bonn, Germany of the “Lost Treasures of Afghanistan”; a trove of gold, silver and ivory that bear witness to the rich mix of cultures that both came to and traded with this country. This past week our J9 Directorate Chief, Michael Ritchie and our Public Private Cooperation Division Chief, Dr. Judy Reid, participated in a EUCOM-hosted conference, "Silk Road Initiative."  It encouraged collaborative investments by both the business and public sectors along the route, particularly in Afghanistan.

The lost treasures exhibit, the “Silk Road Initiative” conference, and the NATO Summit all remind me that Afghanistan is more than today’s image of war and suffering. Afghanistan was and is a vital cultural crossroads and home of proud people with an extremely rich heritage that is centered along the Silk Road.

Of course the Silk Road was not a single road at all, but a series of paths connecting cities, trading posts, and caravan watering places. While it was meant as a trade network, it fostered not only an exchange of goods, but also of ideas and cultures. Afghanistan because of its geographical location was not at the periphery of the western world but at the very center of trade routes.

The art exhibit helped me to rediscover another Afghanistan. If you are interested, I encourage you to visit this collection of previously thought lost or destroyed ancient treasures at the German government museum in Bonn. The exhibit, which had toured the US in 2008-9, has proven so popular that it has been extended until Jan. 2, 2011. Go there and you will not be disappointed. Bonn, John Le Carre’s “sleepy little town on the Rhine” is easy to get to and a wonderful city. (02228-9171-200 / www.bundeskunsthalle.de)

I work at a military headquarters which supports the NATO and US missions in Afghanistan. EUCOM’s number one mission is something we call “Building Partner Capacity” and like most things in the military it has an acronym: BPC. We focus our BPC efforts on numerous security issues in the region to include supporting the mission in Afghanistan. We assist militaries in our Area of Focus (AOF) in improving their ability to operate in Afghanistan.

As heard at Lisbon, Afghanistan is also NATO’s number one priority. I am convinced that there is a direct correlation between the work we do at EUCOM and the number of European military forces contributing to ISAF. More than 85 percent of troop-contributing countries come from among the 51 nations in our AOF.

This varied international presence in Afghanistan results in a mix of cultures today just as existed from 2000 BC to 100 AD when the Silk Road traded in the “hidden treasures” I recently saw. The ivory carvings bearing witness to India, the Greek objects from a city founded by Alexander the Great at the foot of the Hindu Kush, and the 21,000 gold pieces from nomadic princes, are also what we are fighting for in Afghanistan.

In my mind, we are fighting to ensure that these parts of a people’s heritage are preserved and have a window to the world. Every object that I viewed had been hidden for the past 30 years for fear of losing them to others.

Just as NATO reinforced its commitment to the people of Afghanistan in Lisbon on Friday, I am proud of the support that EUCOM indirectly provides to the Afghan people and to their culture and I’m reminded of the phrase adorning the Kabul National Museum: “A nation stays alive when its culture stays alive.”

Mike Anderson
Deputy Director,
J9 Interagency Partnering Directorate

Many of you are aware of the NATO Summit in Lisbon this weekend. I'm spending much of this week preparing for it, and thought I'd share with you a few thoughts on the summit's importance and what we hope to achieve in this key forum.

Currently, 28 NATO Heads of States and Governments (HoSG) are expected to convene at the NATO Summit. Over a series of meetings, our leaders will discuss a handful of issues central to the future security of Europe and North America, focusing on the new strategic concept and its subsequent implementation: crisis management; missile defense; the comprehensive approach; cyber security; and NATO headquarters and command structure reform.

The status of operations and training in Afghanistan will of course be high on the agenda, and, in a 48-nation HoSG forum dedicated to the topic, I'll be making remarks on this subject to the assembled leaders.

Also, the NATO-Russia Council will convene on 20 November. Russia's president will participate, along with NATO Heads of States and Governments, in order to explore means to enhance practical cooperation on areas such as Afghanistan, missile defense, disarmament, and countering proliferation, terrorism, narcotics and piracy.

In short, the NATO Summit is expected to underscore the importance of NATO today, reaffirming and modernizing its security and defense mandate. Many, if not all, of the issues that will be addressed in Lisbon are central to our work here at Allied Command Operations (ACO), as well as at EUCOM.

I hope all of you follow the proceedings closely, and please feel free to share any thoughts and impressions as you follow the discourse.

Adm. James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

I had an experience last week I never expected when I began my naval career in the 1970s during the Cold War period: a four-day visit to Moscow and St. Petersburg, hosted by the Russian Chief of Defense.

I'm visiting the Russian Naval Academy in ths photo.

This was a striking visit for me, in particular given my love of Russian literature and culture. I have been a long and devoted reader of "the Russians," whose deep and profound views of life influenced me as a young reader.

Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Solzhenitsyn, Turgenev, Pushkin, Lermontov, Bulgakov, and many others left their mark on me early in my reading life. Above all, I loved the brilliant (and sadly unfinished) novel "Dead Souls" by Nikolai Gogol, which captures so much of the indomitable character of Russia in all its unique spirit and bleak humor.

I've been equally fascinated with the long history of Russia, including its astounding panoply of leaders -- from Ivan the Terrible to Peter the Great; from Stalin to Gorbachev. Given its massive geography and central position on the Eurasian continent, Russia has been engaged in key world events for centuries.

Throughout the first part of my career, the Soviet Union was the opponent. I never thought I'd have a chance to visit Red Square, meet with the Russian Foreign and Defense Ministers, fire a symbolic cannon shot over the Neva River, tour the revolutionary cruiser Aurora, and hold detailed discussions with the senior military officer in Russia. But those Cold War days ended almost two decades ago with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the partnership with Russia has emerged. Consultations at the senior level are a vital part of this important partnership with Russia.

The general theme of our talks was how we could enhance cooperation between Russia and NATO in key areas linked to our common security in the 21st century. I believe there are many: counter-piracy, counter-narcotics, counter-terrorism, Afghanistan, missile defense, and arms control were all topics on the table. These are real and practical ideas.

Given the upcoming visit of President Medvedev to the NATO-Russia Summit in Lisbon this weekend, the visit was especially timely. All our conversations were based on the idea of Russia as a key strategic partner to NATO, and I think we have great potential in all of the areas mentioned above.

I was followed in Moscow by the Secretary-General of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who explored many of the same issues. He, too, is hopeful of an extended dialogue between NATO and Russia.

Are there going to be areas of disagreement? Of course. But I firmly believe that Russia's best future lies to her west, in engagement and partnership with Europe, NATO, and the United States.

Life is full of choices. There is a Russian proverb that says "Every road has two directions." My hope is that through their mutual choices, NATO and Russia will find a way to travel together on the road ahead.

Adm. James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell: Commander, NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan and Commanding General, Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan

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.

Quality improved, as well. The instructor to trainee ratio decreased from 1:76 to 1:29, greatly increasing the ability of trainers to give attention to individuals. Improvements like this led to an improved basic rifle qualification rate; increasing from an embarrassing 35% to 97%. To truly professionalize the force, however, will require even more attention to quality in the force – and trainers with specialized skills are required to accomplish this.

In order to develop the systems and institutions that are required to continue to professionalize and grow the ANSF, specialty training is required. Schools that teach skills like acquisitions, logistics, maintenance, intelligence, and even field artillery are needed to balance a currently infantry-centric force. Additionally, leader development courses like the police staff college, police and army officer candidate schools, and various non-commissioned officer development courses are needed. All of these specialty skills require trainers with the requisite skills – trainers that can only be found in the international community. Over the next ten months, our requirement for these trainers will double, with needed skill sets ranging from Mi-17 helicopter pilots and maintainers to doctors, police trainers to instructors at the signal school.

The impacts of not sourcing our trainer requirements are that training base expansions to increase capacity are hindered, specialty school development will be delayed, pace of specialty skills development will be slowed, and the professionalization of the ANSF will be hampered.

Essentially, the process of transition to the ANSF will be delayed; as the Secretary General of NATO said recently, “no trainers, no transition.”

If we do not resource the training mission in Afghanistan, we will not be able to achieve our goals for increased quantity and improved quality. We must not allow that to happen. We need to sustain the momentum we have achieved in the past ten months so that we capitalize on our achievements thus far. To create Afghan capacity that is enduring and self-sustaining we must professionalize the police, army, and air forces; create viable logistics and medical systems; and improve the infrastructure and the institutions that train and educate them…above all, we MUST have the trainers to develop them.

Lieutenant General William B. Caldwell, IV
U.S. Army
Commanding General, NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan
Kabul, Afghanistan

A superb staff officer from my years at U.S. Southern Command, Colonel Bryan Sparling is the Communication Director for the ISAF Joint Command (IJC), working for my good friend Lieutenant General Dave Rodriguez.  Bryan oversees the IJC’s work in Public Affairs, Information Operations, and Psychological Operations in Afghanistan today. 

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:

Members of the Iowa National Guard's 734th Agri-Business Development Team, meet with their counterparts from the Kunar provincial government to introduce the provincial agriculture leaders to get a better sense for how best to quickly assist the provincial government in providing more robust agricultural services to its citizens.

"The enormity of the mission here is hard to comprehend.  It is truly audacious.  We are simultaneously transforming a government and attempting to connect it to remote constituencies who deeply distrust central authority.  We are building infrastructure: roads, dams, power grids, and Afghanistan's first railroad.  And we are creating military and police forces while fighting side-by-side with them against an entrenched insurgency supported by a robust sanctuary in Pakistan. 

Progress is being made, but it is painstakingly slow.  This is in no way the same war that we entered in 2001.  This war has become about much more.  NATO is, with little argument, the most successful alliance in the history of the world.  And the nations of NATO, along with others, have, here in Afghanistan, effectively pushed all their chips into the center of the table.  The stakes are high.  With no hyperbole, what is being tested here is the mettle of liberal democracy.  The question in the air is whether the prosperous, free people of the world will stand and fight for their ideals against religious ideologues and criminal extremists empowered by global information technology.  Without a doubt this is an information war.

Daily we fight lies.  Ultimately it will be our actions that speak loudest and demonstrate to these people that we are not lying, that we are on the side of Truth, and that we honestly have their best interests in mind; that having a government responsive to its people and strong enough to enforce a monopoly on violence, having an educated populace and empowering another half of their population, women, to prosper are things that are truly in the Afghan, the Western and the American interest.

Pray for our leaders.  This is a crucial year."

Bryan N. Sparling
Colonel (OF-5), U.S. Army
Communication Director, ISAF Joint Command IO Director
USFOR-A Kabul, Afghanistan

An Afghan National Air Force member looks on as civilians load ballot boxes into an Mi-17 helicopter in Jaghuri, Afghanistan, Sept. 20, 2010.

That sums up the year ahead accurately.  We ARE moving forward with a focus on training the Afghan security forces and transitioning all security work to them.  A good example of the Afghan security forces' increasingly capable work is the recent Parliamentary elections.  Despite many boastful promises from the Taliban to disrupt them, the elections were safely conducted with only scattered and ineffective attacks, nearly 4 million votes cast, and roughly a 40% turnout -- comparable to parliamentary elections in many western countries.

Many challenges ahead, but with effective information operations, aggressive training programs, and a solid plan for transition, we can and will succeed.

Adm. James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

Hila Hanif, U.S. EUCOM Special Assistant for Muslim Outreach

I recently had the opportunity to join Admiral Stavridis for a second time on a trip to Afghanistan. I worked in Kabul from 2005-2007 in the development field and had little exposure to ISAF operations during that time, so for me it has been a wonderfully unique experience to observe the work of the NATO Mission.

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.

My family emigrated from Afghanistan to the United States decades ago, and while Afghans sometimes laugh at my Americanized accent, I was able to speak with some students and soldiers from the commando unit in Dari, one of the official languages of Afghanistan, to get their impressions of the progress of the training mission. They spoke very proudly of the development of the academy, but more importantly, they emphasized their eagerness to serve their country.

One of ADM Stavridis' military assistants and I at Forward Operating Base Morales-Frazier

It is a significant achievement that the military academy is graduating hundreds of new, well-trained Afghan military officers each year. But from what I saw, their achievements go beyond that initial goal. They are providing these students and soldiers with a quality education that is not available to a large segment of the population, and giving them knowledge and skills that will be useful for them and for their country beyond the battlefield.

Just as important as the skills they are developing is the professional ethos and unity among the students. The military academy is bringing together Afghans from different regions of a war-torn and fractured country to work together. This is no small feat in a country that spent years fighting along ethnic divisions. When I asked a few students what part of Afghanistan they were from, several of them answered “I’m from Afghanistan, just Afghanistan,” not wanting to be categorized by region. After I heard that response a couple of times I realized it was deliberate. Given the history and current state of ethnic tension in Afghanistan, it was great to hear that the students and soldiers in this program are looking to work together for a national cause and work beyond ethnic differences.

The NATO training mission has developed a great model for capacity building and it’s no wonder that the students at the National Military Academy were so proud to be part of the institution.

Hila Hanif
U.S. European Command Special Assistant for Muslim Outreach
Fellow, Office of the Secretary of Defense Presidential Management

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.  

Talking with French troops during a visit to Forward Operating Base Morales-Frazier, 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. 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.  

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.  

Meeting the Polish commander at Forward Operating Base Ghazni

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 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.  

On a tour in the National Military Afghan Academy, talking to Afghan Commando Soldiers.

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

Undoubtedly, there are many challenges facing us in Afghanistan. The great news is that NATO and Afghan National Security Forces are meeting these challenges head on.  

Adm. James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

Pretty surprising that a Supreme Allied Commander Europe – standing as I do in the footsteps of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, just 65 years after the end of WWII and after 60 years of the founding of the Alliance – would feel need to blog about “Why NATO Matters to the USA.”

But let me offer a quote:  “The Alliance today faces a more complex set of challenges than perhaps at any time in its history.  The reasons for nations' reluctance to carry out agreed defense commitments go beyond the current economic slowdown in the West, although that is the proximate cause. In the debates over security policy throughout the Alliance there is evidence of deeper public concerns over basic Alliance purposes and over the viability of Alliance efforts to achieve them.”

Think you read this recently?  Sounds a lot like recent opinion pieces about the growing “irrelevancy” of NATO in particular and Europe in general?  Yes, but that piece was written back in 1982, by one of my predecessors, General Bernie Rogers.

Yet since that moment of doubt and complexity, NATO has continued its positive and important contribution to European, North American and, more recently, to global security.

Today, NATO employs over 130,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines on three continents in a wide variety of vital missions:  the Balkans, counter-piracy, counter-terrorism, and training missions in both Iraq and Afghanistan.  We also perform traditional defense of the Alliance missions, ranging from patrolling the skies over NATO’s Baltic allies to complex multi-national exercises with our 28 member states and 33 partners in the Partnership for Peace, the Mediterranean Dialogue, and the Istanbul Cooperative Initiative.

Let me give four reasons NATO will continue to matter for the United States in the early turbulence of the 21^st century:

First, before we decide we don’t think NATO matters, let’s do a little “comparative shopping.”  Practically speaking, NATO has the best pool of partners we will have in the world for the foreseeable future.  Look at the other Cold War Alliances and what happened to them.  Remember CENTO?  How about SEATO?  The RIO Pact?  All have folded their tents and faded away.  Before we decide we can do without NATO, we should think about where our other partners will come from – the bench isn’t deep.  As one example, in Afghanistan today, 85% of our partner nations come from Europe, contributing over 40,000 troops and having tragically experienced over 600 of their finest young people killed in action, shoulder to shoulder with our own 1,000 painful losses, in an effort to support the young Afghan democracy and deny al-Qaeda platforms from which to launch attacks on our nations.  This is substantial by any measure.

Second, as Willie Sutton said, “Why rob banks?  Because that’s where the money is.”  If we are looking for capable military partners with real resources, the ability to deploy and operate with us, and well-trained troops, Europe provides the lion’s share in the world today.  With a collective GDP of over $15 trillion (larger than that of the US), and over two million men and women in uniform (almost all of whom are volunteers, as in the U.S.), this is where the “money is” in terms of real military capability and credibility.

Third, from a philosophical perspective, these are many of the nations who most fundamentally share our values.  Europe is the source of the enlightenment and the values of democracy and liberty that we cherish: individual and human rights, freedom of speech and religion, and rule of law.  While there are individual countries around the world which certainly share those values, there is no other region in the world which so highly shares and is prepared to act to defend our fundamental values.

Fourth, the demographic ties that connect us are the strongest with Europe.  Today nearly 70% of the US population traces its heritage and roots to Europe.  This lineage creates bonds that are linguistic, cultural, historical, and economic.  Granted, the economics of Asia and the Pacific Rim are compelling over time, as are the rising democracies of Latin America.  Yet for the foreseeable future, the linkages with Europe remain the strongest overall set of connections that we have in the world.

So before we decide NATO isn’t so important to Americans, I’d suggest we take a clear-eyed look at the other options, the tendency to partner with us, the basic military skills, the level of resources, and the values that bind.  NATO specifically and Europe in general still, even after 60+ years of alliance, look to me like pretty good partners.

Admiral James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander Europe

I read about the economic and natural crises in Romania this week and I couldn't help but think about a recent trip I took to the beautiful Carpathia Mountains not far from where the flooding is happening now.

I went to Romania in May to visit our military chaplain partners and to share ministry initiatives and best practices/lessons learned in missions to Iraq and Afghanistan. I was also able to worship with our Defense Attaché and other Americans at a lively contemporary Christian worship service in Bucharest. It is a great faith community, rich in ethnic and cultural diversity, nurtured by their common belief in God.

Chaplain Van Sickle provides a briefing to the IAEC at the Harghita Christian Camp conference center in the Carpathian Mountains of Transylvania, Romania.

Additionally, I was invited by the International Association of Evangelical Chaplains to participate in their 5th annual international training conference and present EUCOM mission priorities and ministry activity in Europe and U.S. Central Command. Conferees were military and civilian clergy working with soldiers from Bulgaria, France, Latvia, Moldova, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Ukraine, Uganda and the U.S. My intent was to reinforce our command priorities and understand the strategic ministry goals and challenges from each country's perspective.

The IAEC conference in the Carpathian Mountains with the chaplains was an especially good event, with lots of time to hear joys and concerns from the head Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant Chaplains. The training sessions addressed: Ministering in a Pluralistic Society and Proselytizing; Inductive Bible Study; Ethics and a Biblical View of the Military Profession; Pastoral Crisis Counseling; Deployment Ministry; Suicide Awareness and Prevention & Next of Kin Notification; Para-Church Organizations; Chaplain-Commander Relationships; Professionalism and Ethics; The Military Pastor; and Varieties of Military Chaplaincies. These were especially relevant sessions for the three chaplains among us preparing for their own deployments to Afghanistan.

Samuel & Maria Jose Coias, Military Christian Fellowship President; Chaplain Van Sickle; Portugal BVS Luis Goncalves, Pastor, New Life Church, Portugal; Salvador Martinez, Military Christian Fellowship President, Spain

It became evident throughout the week that the chaplains from single-confession chaplaincies -- where all personnel are from the same faith: all Orthodox or all Catholic or all Protestant -- need encouragement to stay engaged with their military members who are not free to exercise their faith in the restricted military settings in which they serve. It was also very evident that they are joyfully passionate about their service to God and their fellow servicemen and women.

Proud to serve! Clearly, we are ‘Stronger Together!’

Chaplain (Col.) Brian R. Van Sickle
Command Chaplain, EUCOM

U.S. Air Force Chaplain (Col.) Brian Van Sickle with Albanian Lt. Col. Dritan Demiraj, Special Forces Battalion Commander.

I spent the week of June 7-11 in Tirana, Albania, hosted by the US Defense Attaché and Office of Defense Cooperation. They invited me to help assess the need for the Albanians to establish a military chaplaincy as they anticipate the possibility of casualties from their combat mission in Afghanistan. Currently, their law prohibits religious expression in the military even though its permitted by law in the civilian population since 1991.

I met with their senior military/civilian Ministry of Defense leadership and each of the leaders of civilian faith groups (Muslim, Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant) to explain the role chaplains play within the military besides doing services. After fourteen meetings it was clear they are very eager to establish chaplaincies but realize their constitutional law must be changed to allow it.

The deputy Chief of Defense was quite emphatic about inviting me back for a session with key decision makers in Parliament, Ministry of Defense and civilian religious leaders. Key to the discussion was the fact that of the 28 NATO members, 26 have chaplaincies but Albania and Bulgaria do not. Since Albania's acceptance into NATO in April 2009, they are very eager to become as much like their partners as they can be...this is just another element.

Most encouraging however, was the one-on-one conversations with the leadership about their personal faith and their hunger for God. They bemoan the fact that Albania is the only country in history that officially declared themselves an Atheist Nation while communist.

The history of religious persecution and the current legal restrictions on freedom of religion in the military was all new information to me and was critical for me to know as I explained the foundations and structures of other international chaplaincies.

The visit far exceeded my expectations and I look forward to seeing how the Albanian military deals with this pressing and important issue.

Chaplain (Col.) Brian R. Van Sickle
Command Chaplain, EUCOM

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

I met with Gen. Stan McChrystal, the commander of ISAF, his German Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Bruno Kasdorf, and his entire international team, as well as with a senior group of Afghan security experts, Generals, and Ministers and several hundred Afghan soldiers.

Meeting Afghan troops during my visit

Of note, I toured the Kabul Military Training Center, which is 20,000 acres and currently has nearly 10,000 trainees undergoing a series of warrior and combat training courses at all levels from senior officer to junior recruit. Each “kandak,” the Afghan equivalent of a battalion, comprises about 700 soldiers, instructed by our fine trainers. I saw them do everything from respond to Improvised Explosive Devices to administer first aid to attack mock “insurgents” to gather for leadership discussions. I came away impressed with their spirit and evident confidence.

Lt. Gen. Bill Caldwell, in his position of Commander of the NATO Training Mission, is in charge of training Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) throughout the country. He currently has over 30,000 Afghans in training as he builds their Army and Police to over 250,000 by this fall. Bill is full of energy, and brings a great deal of deep experience in training to the job. He has a multinational staff, with senior officers from most of the 46 nations that make up ISAF. Ensuring that he receives the right number and quality of trainers is my top priority as SACEUR.

Meeting one of our great U.S. Army soldiers.

Lt. Gen. Rod Rodriguez, a tall, rangy former West Point lineman leads ISAF operations across Afghanistan, with over 70,000 U.S. and 45,000 other NATO and non-NATO troops under his command. He briefed me on operations in southern Afghanistan, in the Taliban heartland, where progress is steady and the ratio of coalition to Afghan soldiers and policemen approaches 1:1 for the first time in the conflict.

Another strong leader is Vice Adm. Bob Harward, a Navy SEAL with a distinguished combat record in Afghanistan and a fluent Dari-speaker. Bob is in charge of US national detention operations, which will be the first key operation fully transitioned to Afghan leadership. He showed me the plans of the new Parwan detention facility and laid out the rule of law approach he is taking in partnership with the Afghan government and the international community.

As always, I spent time with both Gen. McChrystal and U.S .Ambassador Karl Eikenberry. They are a great team and fashioning an excellent civil-military partnership, along with other key leaders of the international effort. As the Afghan Deputy Minister of Defense said to me, “We will not deliver security from the barrel of a gun in Afghanistan.” He’s right – it will take the combined efforts of ISAF, the Afghan people, the international community, and the neighboring nations to succeed.

Receiving an update on the field from Army Col. Herman.

I’m encouraged and cautiously optimistic about Afghanistan. In addition to the good work by the security forces, there are increasingly good indicators about the economy and society (GDP up 20% last year; potentially huge mining deposits of iron, copper, lithium, and other minerals and metals; 12 million cell phones; 6 million children in schools, doubled over five years, over 40 % of them girls; number of teachers nationwide has doubled). Afghans seem to recognize this progress, and many national polls show strong confidence in the future of the country (70%+) and approval for the government (60%+), very favorable compared to many western countries.

Of concern, violence is up markedly over last year, largely the result of the efforts of both the ANSF and ISAF to take on the Taliban in their “home waters” down south. It will take perseverance and grit to get through what will be a dangerous and tough summer. The insurgency is stubborn and resilient, although largely ineffective in their attempts to attack our forces beyond the toll of IEDs. Overall, there are many challenges ahead; yet I would argue the prognosis for Afghanistan looks brighter today than a year ago, and I believe it will continue to improve.

For additional information, Michael O'Hanlon wrote a great article on the situation in Afghanistan. It's definitely worth reading.

Admiral James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander Europe

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.

Maoris\' greet me with a traditional Wero challenge (Official NATO photo by MC2 Stefanie Antosh)

I was greeted in New Zealand by a traditional Maori "wero” or challenge and visited their evocative War Memorial with a statue of a mother and two young children. In Australia, I walked through their War Memorial and associated museum seeing panel after panel carved with the names of the fallen. These are nations that know conflict and war all too well.

As I reflect on our discussions, I am struck by the breadth of what the Kiwis and Aussies are doing across the spectrum of counter-insurgency work. The Australians have sent over 1,500 troops, a significant contribution for a nation with a population of just over 20 million; the New Zealanders have 220 people from a population base of just over 4 million.

In both cases, the men and women from Oceania are doing demanding special operations, training the Afghan security forces, flying aircraft in support of the challenging logistics tail, and engaging in the important work of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams.

In a talk I gave at the Australian Defense Force Academy, I highlighted the work of Corporal Brett Corrigan at the Provincial Reconstruction Team in training young Afghan men as carpenters. What an evocative image for what we must do in Afghanistan: create a generation of builders instead of a generation of bombers.

I also had a photograph of Captain Myles Conquest (what a perfect name!), of the Australian Army, who is part of the embedded partnering and training team with one of the Afghanistan Kandaks (battalions) operating in Uruzgan province. At the end of the day, the "success strategy” in Afghanistan will be based on our ability to train the Afghan security forces so we can draw down our own troops.

General Jerry Mateparae and I pose for a photo from the top of Mount Victoria, Wellington, New Zealand. (Official NATO photo by MC2 Stefanie Antosh)

The trip also included high level meetings with the Chiefs of Defense, General Jerry Mateparae of New Zealand and General Angus Houston of Australia. Both are the kind of straightforward yet intellectual leaders who truly understand what we seek to do in Afghanistan, where we cannot "kill our way to victory.” We found ourselves in seamless alignment on the need to focus on strategic communications, putting the Afghan people at the center of gravity, getting the civil-military balance right, and – above all – training the Afghan Security Forces.

As I look at all that is unfolding in Afghanistan, I am increasingly convinced we will be successful. The economy is beginning to click, there is great potential for resources based on strategic minerals, the body politic increasingly understands the responsibilities the international community expects it to take in fighting corruption and – from our perspective on the military side – we have stopped the Taliban momentum with the Marjah campaign.

Air Chief Marshal Houston presents me with a gift during my visit. (Official NATO photo by MC2 Stefanie Antosh)

As the spring and summer unfold, and the "clear, hold, build, and transition” strategy takes root in Kandahar and other parts of Afghanistan, I am cautiously optimistic that we will see momentum build. This will create the conditions for reconciliation and reintegration, led by the Afghans, to bring some of their "disaffected brothers” in from the cold. The upcoming international conference in Kabul itself and the Afghan "Peace Jirga” will contribute.

Certainly there will be hard days ahead, with casualties and setbacks, but on the whole I believe we are moving forward in Afghanistan. But these two nations are no strangers to challenges – from Gallipoli to the Pacific campaigns of World War II to the Cold War and through today's efforts, these are the kind of friends to have at our side. Having allies and partners like Australia and New Zealand will make all the difference.

Admiral James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander Europe

Official portrait of GEN Franciszek Gagor, Chief of Defense of the Polish Armed Forces.

I'm flying over the deep blue of the southern Pacific Ocean -- enroute to New Zealand and Australia for security discussions about Afghanistan -- and I've just learned of the death of Polish General and Chief of Defense Franciszek Gagor, along with the President of Poland and much of the senior leadership.

As I look down over the white caps of the sea, I think of my friend and the sudden nature of his death in a plane crash enroute to a memorial gathering near Smolensk, Russia in remembrance of 70th anniversary of the Katyn Massacre. What a tragic loss for his family, for Poland, and for the cause of security in the world.

Franciszek lived a full and meaningful life, and all of us at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe mourn his loss. He was not only a leader in his nation's military, but also a strong and highly respected voice in the councils of NATO.

I am greeted to Warsaw by the Polish Chairman of Defense General Franciszek Gagor in December of 2009.

He spoke fluent and idiomatic English, along with French and Russian and his native Polish of course. General Gagor was a powerful thinker, a diplomatic statesman, and a superb military leader. He had attended the National Defense University in the U.S. and we often spoke of the vital importance of education for our senior officers. He published many thoughtful
articles and a well regarded book on peacekeeping operations, in which he was widely respexcted as an expert.

Franciszek led much of the preparations for Poland's entry into NATO, and had served as a General officer since being promoted to Brigadier back in 1997. He was among the senior Chief's of Defense in the Alliance, and when he spoke in council, everyone listened closely.

Laura and I had a lovely visit with him and his wife Lucy just a few months ago in Warsaw, a week or so before Christmas. We walked the streets of the restored city, and his sense of history and the irony of it all was clear and deep. I'll always remember a light snow falling and thinking how lucky I was to know him -- a man of conviction, intelligence, and blessed with a fine sense of humor.

General Franciszek Gagor, Chairman of Defense of Poland, and I conduct a press conference in Warsaw.

The next day, we drank Bison vodka and sat in front of a fireplace after a formal dinner and he reflected on the passages of his life and career, from the post-war history of his beloved Poland to the Warsaw Pact and on to his role today as a leader in NATO. Personally, I deeply valued his advice on topics ranging from Afghanistan to the Balkans to NATO reform and the emerging strategic concept.

Franciszek Gagor represented the best of our senior military, and above my fireplace at home is the Polish cavalry sabre he gave me during our visit. I'll treasure it, as I do the memories of this great friend.

Admiral James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander Europe

I'm looking for guidance from all you social media gurus, or not, out there. Do you practice the theory, in your business, command, etc., that everyone should blog?

How do we do social media at U.S. European Command? My VLog is here to help answer that question, as well as tell you what the troops in Afghanistan are doing at the NATO Training Mission - Afghanistan. This is my first VLog so I hope you enjoy it and please share your thoughts ... And don't forget: It's a social thing, so let's socialize!

I’m on Capitol Hill next week to update Congress on the successes and challenges of U.S. European Command and the security environment in Europe. As you’d expect, this is a BIG deal for us, and we’ve been preparing for months.

Although I am called to testify as a U.S. military officer, we will of course touch upon the Alliance and my role as Supreme Allied Commander. I’ll be testifying along with my friends and colleagues GEN Jim Mattis of U.S. Joint Forces Command and GEN Kip Ward of U.S. Africa Command.

One of the big things I plan to emphasize is the importance of international and interagency partnering to address the security challenges we collectively face. Congress of course provides us with the resources and authorities through which we help build the capacity of our partners and allies. This is essential, as our partners and allies help us meet near-term requirements in Afghanistan, as well as the longer-term requirements for our theater security and the security of our homeland.

A couple of examples of “building partnership capacity” in action may be helpful to underscore the point in more tangible terms. (I deliberately use the word “partnership”– rather than “partner” – to emphasize the fact that we get so much out of these interactions). In Albania, for example, we have been able to conduct security sector reform assessments, an inter-agency effort critical to integrating Balkan countries in the European community.

Or another example: Our Marines are conducting pre-deployment training in the Republic of Georgia, which will result in Georgian forces deployed to Afghanistan. As capabilities improve, Georgian forces are expected to be able to operate independently and eventually stand up a training program to prepare future Georgian forces for deployment.

We’ll certainly talk about Afghanistan in some depth, given my responsibilities on the EUCOM side with preparing our forces for forward deployment; and on the NATO side as the strategic commander for NATO operations which of course include Afghanistan.

And we’ll no doubt cover a host of other topics, as well, ranging from support to U.S. service members and families in Europe to Russia to missile defense.

I always look forward to the chance to interact with Congress and answer their well researched and frequently challenging questions. I have many friends on the Hill, both on the staffs and among the members themselves and it is also enjoyable to catch up with them during the pre-hearing “calls” on the members.

I suspect the Pentagon Channel and/or C-SPAN will cover the hearings if you want to watch the testimony in “real time”. Alternatively, we’ll get it posted on our website afterwards so you can catch it.

I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes!

Adm. Jim Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander Europe

Maj. Kristi Beckman is the Chief of Social Media for European Command Public Affairs

This is Day 6 for the EUCOM social media team training in Kabul, Afghanistan and it's one that I'll remember for a long time to come.

I was awakened around 6:30 a.m. by an explosion that literally rocked our entire encampment. My normal routine of listening for the alarm and hitting the snooze button to wake up peacefully was more of a split-second jump out of bed with my heart pounding uncontrollably.

While so many are used to this over here, this is my first experience. And I don’t care who you are, this sound will chill you to the bone. There was another smaller explosion and small arms fire exchange continued for more than an hour but finally ceased.

So far the reports are that there was a vehicle explosion and 2-3 suicide bombers who blew themselves up in downtown Kabul and there are at least 10 dead and more than 30 wounded. Click here for the Times Online piece for a bit more detail.

This mission over here is so important and now more than ever as these guys are literally building institutions and training the Afghans to teach themselves and protect themselves. And the Afghan people here are really amazing and want so much to turn this country around. You can see it in their eyes and when you talk to them. They just want to have normal lives and raise a family.

The fact that some maniac over here can strap on a bomb and ride a bike or drive a car into a crowded area and take the lives of those around him just sickens me to no end. I will never understand the purpose of this…terrorizing and murdering innocent men, women and children…never.

If you’re reading this from the states or from Europe or somewhere else around the globe where you get up in the morning in your house or apartment and you have running water, food, clothes on your back, a family to love, a job to earn a living, and peace of mind that you will not die today walking to the market, be very thankful…please.

And more than anything PLEASE support our troops over here who are working so hard to make a difference in Afghanistan.

The NTM-A team will keep you posted on the accomplishments AND struggles through their NTM-A Web site blogs, news stories and social media sites. Follow them and support them as they are your sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, Moms and Dads who are away from their peace and freedom and really need your support in order to make a difference!

Maj. Kristi Beckman is the Chief of Social Media for European Command Public Affairs

I'm not blogging from Stuttgart, Germany today. Instead, I've made a little jaunt to Afghanistan to help out NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan with their social media strategy.

They’ve got a fantastic public affairs team and with the direction of NTM-A Commander Lt. Gen. William Caldwell, they've set up a new Web site and are pushing hard to get their story told through the social media platforms. Of course the key as we all know, to social media, is two-way communication and that is where we’ll be working.

Ever heard of NTM-A? It's an organization that lives and breathes to generate and reform the Afghanistan National Security Forces. The Afghan police and Army are in the process of trying to stand on their own and NTM-A is teaching them everything from how to do public affairs to how to provide security and stability.

Seems to me they’ve got a very tough but rewarding mission and right now, I’m excited to be part of it for the short time I’m here.

The U.S. military now understands the importance of the ever-increasing social media realm and we are doing everything possible to understand how to socialize our stories accurately and quickly and of course in a more conversational way that we all relate to.

For the social media team here, conveying this mission and receiving feedback from their fans and followers in the social media realm, I’d like to get feedback from you on what you think they should focus on.

You can check out their social media hub Web site, their Facebook and You tube pages.

So, down and dirty now...if you become their follower or fan, what do you want to see and hear about the most from this team in Afghanistan? And what do you NOT want to see or hear about?

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.

Soldiers from six nations gather to hear the three senior officers involved in commanding Operation Moshtarak, Brigadier James Cowan; Commander 11 Light Brigade (UK); Brigadier General Moyaiyodin Ghori, Commanding Officer 3rd Brigade Afghan National Army; and Colonel Shirin Shah Afghan National Civil Order Police. Images by: SSgt Mark Jones (British Army)

There are about 10,000 troops directly involved, including about 5,000 Afghan Army and Police, and about 5,000 NATO forces – U.S., British, Danish, and Estonians – under tactical command of 2-star British General, Nick Carter and Afghan 1-star Shir Mohammad.

We are working very hard (and thus far have been successful) in minimizing civilian casualties. This has been at the heart of our strategy since last summer, and is different than any of the large operations that were conducted over the previous years in Afghanistan.

To accomplish this, we have been in extensive consultation with the people of the area – notably through Shuras and other local processes – and have truly listened to them. We seek to prevent any civilian casualties and in return have received a great deal of support.

At Camp Bastion the six nations involved in Operation Moshtarak are conducting battle preparations.

Tragically, while troops were in contact with insurgents Sunday, two rockets from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launched at insurgents firing upon Afghan and ISAF forces impacted approximately 300 meters off their intended target, killing 12 civilians in Nad Ali district, Helmand province. We deeply regret this tragic loss of life and will ensure we do all we can to avoid future incidents. The use of the HIMARS has been suspended until a thorough review of this incident has been conducted.

It is important also to know that this is the first Afghan-led operation of this scale. It was fully briefed to President Karzai by his military and police leadership and approved by him. They have real ownership and are partnering with us in approximately a 1:1 ratio of forces.

It is crucial to know that the military phase of this is NOT the decisive part – it is the introduction of governance and the follow-on economic activity that will be key. Again, that will be Afghan led but supported by the rest of the coalition. In that sense, the military part is not the “main event,” but rather the enabling function.

As Stan told me, and I agree fully, “this is only a step on a long road - and there will be twists, turns, and plenty of improvised explosive devices along the way.” I couldn’t agree more. The key will be to be steady in the four things upon which we’ve focused for months now:

- Protecting and partnering with the Afghan people

- Effectively communicating, both in Afghanistan and our nations

- Balancing civilian and military efforts

- Training and empowering the Afghan security forces

It is clearly “early days” in this operation, but as a model for how we seek to conduct operations, it is off to a good start.

Adm. James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander Europe

Maj. Kristi Beckman is the Chief of Social Media for European Command Public Affairs

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.

There are a couple of military public affairs troops who have begun a 30-day adventure through Afghanistan with the hopes of capturing some great examples of our brave U.S. and coalition men and women serving in Afghanistan.

Their story is entitled, "30 Days Through Afghanistan."  They have a great Web site which is their social media hub, so to speak, and you can follow them on Facebook and Twitter. I’m pretty excited to see what they will be able to accomplish. But the key to all of this is that they are able to reach people in the social media realm, so the reach is endless.

Mark Glaser, from PBS' MediaShift, wrote a blog today about this adventure and I was a bit taken back by the first commenter on this blog. The commenter stated that the U.S. military should stay out of the social media realm because it is perceived as nothing more than trying to legitimize U.S. foreign policy.

I, of course, do not agree in the slightest. Social media is merely another tool for our public affairs professionals to tell our stories. But what social media allows is for us to not just TELL our story, but to get feedback on our story. We are able to talk with people and take part in two-way communication. And not to mention, social media allows for the repurposing of the story ten-fold as opposed to hoping the media will spread the word or hoping someone might stop by our Web site and read about it.

There are thousands of amazing people in our U.S. and coalition militaries who deserve to be talked about. They are brave individuals fighting for basic human rights for others and fighting to defend our freedom. Oh, by the way, that freedom includes the freedom to talk in the social media realm and have an opinion!

I’d like to know other’s thoughts on this. Is there anyone else who thinks the U.S. military should stay out of the social media realm?

Just left historic Munich, Germany where I was fortunate to attend and speak at their annual Security Conference.

Senator Lindsay Graham, of South Carolina, myself, and Senator John McCain, of Arizona, at the 46th Munich Security Conference.

What an all star crowd of attendees! There were senior and impressive delegations from around the globe, including all NATO nations, most of the Afghan contributing countries, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia, China, India, South Korea, and many others. From the United States, the Congressional delegation included Senators McCain, Lieberman, Graham, Kerry, and Udall, as well as Representatives Sanchez and Harmon. I had the chance to talk with all of them and benefited from their collective wisdom.

Also, I was very happy as always to see two former SACEUR’s “in the house,” General Joe Ralston and General Jim Jones – both of whom took a great deal of time and trouble to give me expert advice as I became the first “Admiral” in this venerable post. General Jones, of course, is currently the National Security Advisor to the President and heads up the executive branch delegation. My good friend, and current U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Ivo Daalder, was also present.

I must also say that my views and thoughts about NATO have been shaped by two superb European officers with whom I serve every day – and both were present – Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, the Chairman of NATO’s Military Committee; and General Stephan Abrial, the “other Supreme Commander,” in his case of transformation.

Afghan President Karzai speaks during the conference.

There were two speeches that stood out to me. The first was given by Afghan President Karzai. He spoke at length about the possibility of reintegration and reconciliation with more moderate Taliban. Secretary General Rasmussen also delivered an excellent speech focusing on his hopes for positive strategic cooperation with Russia.

There was a great deal of discussion about the NATO Strategic Concept, which is forthcoming, late this fall. I think the key word is “balance.” Life is not an on-and-off switch; it is a rheostat. We must be capable of dialing-in the solutions to the challenges we face – as people, parents, diplomats, or soldiers and sailors.

I think we need to achieve a balance between:

Article V Collective Defense.................Overseas engagement
Hard Power.........................................Soft Power/Humanitarian operations
Conventional threat.............................Emerging threats / NBC / Terrorism

From an operator's perspective, I have been emphasizing several key ideas in terms of the Strategic Concept:

CYBERSPACE. In today’s world, the likelihood of disruption and perhaps attack with a gravity bomb from the wing of an aircraft against one of our member nations is low; but the chance of offensive photons flowing down a fiber optic cable is high. (More on this in my blog next week!)

Ms. Madeleine Albright answers questions during a NATO strategy panel discussion.

COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH. In the end, we will never fully deliver security from the barrel of a gun; not in Afghanistan nor anywhere else. It will come as a combination of the so-called “3 Ds” – Defense, Diplomacy, and Development. I say it is even broader than that, and will require political, economic, cultural, linguistic, military, skills – in simplest terms, combining international, interagency, and private-public approaches. And all must be undergirded by strategic communication.

NATO COOPERATION WITH EU. We should work hard to define a better operational working modality between NATO and the European Union. We need complementary operations, and what is happening in counter-piracy off the horn of Africa is a good example of where we need to go.

TRANSFORMATION. We can and should restructure the operational side of the Alliance to make it more lean and efficient. I’ll leave it to others to decide the Brussels side of the headquarters, or Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, but, I believe we can streamline and reduce command structure from Allied Command Operations. We should not be afraid of that, and we should levereage innovation, new technologies and approaches to make sure this works properly.

I am engaging in conversation at the 46th Munich Security Conference.

Overall, I am a strong believer in the Alliance and I tried to communicate that in Munich. What connects us within NATO is vastly more important than what divides us today, despite the potential for some differences in views.

NATO remains the richest, strongest alliance in history; with $31 Trillion in GDP, 3+ million soldiers and sailors under arms and 80% of them are volunteers. No nation has ever attacked a NATO nation; nor has a NATO nation ever attacked another NATO nation. Not bad for 60 years of age!

The future is complicated, but I’m confident NATO will continue to be a global force for good. To me, that was the message at the Munich Security Conference.

Adm. James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander Europe

The family photograph of delegates at Lancaster House attending the Afghanistan, The London Conference in London, UK Jan. 28, 2010. (Photo by: Geoff Caddick/newsteam.co.uk/Crown Copyright - For editorial purposes only - For further inquiries please contact News Team International)

I'm in California this week to give a couple of talks on NATO, Europe, and cyberspace – all of which have a lot in common. I'll be speaking up north in Monterey, and down south in San Diego. It is always pleasant to return to the west coast where I spent so much of my seagoing career – well over a decade in four assignments at sea. Both of my daughters were born here, as well. California is full of memories.

Yet, at the moment, I am thinking about a superb international event that happened last week: the International London Conference on Afghanistan. Last week, I wrote about my last trip to Afghanistan as we prepared for it. The media has thoroughly covered the conference (here’s a sample of recent coverage, based on an interview with me), and you can watch key presentations online, like this one from Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s review of the conference on his video blog. So rather than reiterating what's already been said, I thought I'd share with you some personal thoughts and impressions, and my interpretations of the atmospherics.

First of all, it was held in the historic Lancaster House, literally around the corner from Buckingham Palace. Given the seniority of the delegations, the crush of black SUVs pulling up to the front door was staggering. As I walked into the ornate Victorian building, I felt a real sense of luck to be part of the NATO team led by our Secretary General. As I saw 80 delegations from around the world gather to reaffirm their support for Afghanistan, I was amazed, excited and -- above all else -- honored to play a small part in this essential effort, working with so many smart, dedicated professionals, both in and out of uniform from so many countries.

I was struck by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's sense of resolve. The British, of course, have a long history in Afghanistan and understand it well in all of its challenges and opportunities. The Prime Minister clearly believes in the mission, and was particularly welcoming to who spoke after him.

His Excellency Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, at Lancaster House speaking the Afghanistan, The London Conference in London, UK Jan. 28, 2010. (Photo: newsteam.co.uk/Crown Copyright - For editorial purposes only - For further inquiries please contact News Team International)

President Karzai spoke very passionately about his plans for his nation in his second term. While he addressed all aspects of the challenges ahead – governance, corruption, security, economics – I was particularly impressed with his thoughts on reconciliation. I do believe some level of political reintegration of parts of the Taliban will be helpful in resolving the situation in Afghanistan, and it clearly must be led by the Afghans. The President seemed prepared to open that dialogue.

One of my very close friends in Afghanistan is their superb Minister of Defense Abdul Rahim Wardak. He was singularly convincing and moving in his speech about Afghan security forces – including an honest assessment of the challenges in building up to the right level of forces and fully integrating them with the coalition security team. I believe that process is underway and going reasonably well at this point.

In both my remarks and those of General Stan McChrystal who followed me, we spoke of the courage and tenacity of the Afghan security forces, who are sustaining 75% of the casualties in the conflict. They are clearly "in the fight,” and their capabilities are growing. I pointed out the good job they had done repelling attacks in Kabul last week without coalition assistance, as well as the increasingly complex missions they are undertaking, like the special forces raid conducted on January 4th from Afghan-piloted MI-17 helicopters.

We were followed by superb interventions (which is NATO for "presentations”) from a wide variety of nations that properly focused on governance and development, including an address by UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon. Secretary General Rasmussen also spoke very directly and clearly about the commitment of the alliance to this vital undertaking.

Overall, it seemed to me that there was a tangible sense of resolve and unity amongst the participants. Our strategy is clear, and while it will be difficult, there is renewed determination and momentum behind it.

After California, I'll be passing through Belgium en route to Istanbul for the NATO Defense Ministerial and then close out the week in Germany for the Munich Security Conference. The Munich Security Conference is to the international security community what the Oscars is to Hollywood … minus the red carpet, the awards, the movie stars, and the fashion. Everyone will be there, and the conversations will be fascinating. I'll fill you in next week on the details!

Adm. James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

I’m back from spending a few days in Afghanistan last week – and I came away encouraged and optimistic about our approach.

In the course of three days in both Kabul and Herat, which is out west, I had the privilege to observe both ISAF and Afghan forces in action. With this trip complete and an important international conference on Afghanistan upcoming in London, I thought I'd take the opportunity to share a few observations with you.

My arrival in Kabul on Monday morning, January 18, amidst an insurgent attack in the capital was particularly timely. The Afghan National Army (ANA) and Afghan National Police (ANP) responded quickly and effectively to prevent the insurgents from disrupting government operations. It was inspiring to see firsthand the progress that Afghan forces have made, and the increasing responsibility they are assuming for their nation's security. All 15 insurgents were killed or captured, with a minimal loss of life on the Afghan side. Our NATO troops were NOT involved!

Here I am meeting the Afghan Kandak (Battalion) commander in Forward Operating Base Shindand.

This brings me to the subject of NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan (NTM-A). This mission is one of our top priorities. We must ensure that our NTM-A Commander, Lieutenant General Bill Caldwell, is fully resourced and capable of providing the essential training that will allow Afghan forces to take increasing responsibility for their nation's security -- as they did so admirably last Monday in Kabul.

I also flew out west to visit Herat, about 700km west of Kabul, where I was able to spend time with the Italian Commanding General Alessandro Veltri and his team of well over 5,000 NATO troops from a dozen nations. In Forward Operating Base SHINDAND, south of Herat, I met a brilliant Italian officer, Colonel Dei, who is supporting economic development through the establishment of micro-loan programs that supply Afghan women with seed money for small businesses. Such programs reach to the heart of the nexus between security, stability, and prosperity, and embody the comprehensive approach.

Lt. Gen. David Rodriguez shows me around the ISAF Joint Command at Kabul International Airport.

During this trip, I met with ISAF and Afghan leadership; I received dozens of briefings; I saw our troops in action. And at the end of it all, I left knowing that our efforts are making a real difference. The future of Afghanistan and the stability of the region are directly linked to the security of our own countries, our own citizens, and the broader international community. Our sacrifices have been great and more will be required of us, but they have brought with them a new momentum, matched by renewed international commitment.

Here I am with Italian Commanding General Allessandro Vetri during my visit to Herat.

The next big event is the London Conference on Afghanistan this week. I’ll be part of the NATO delegation, headed by Secretary General Rasmussen and accompanied by my good friend General Stan McChrystal. There will be a presentation on the security side of the situation, but the real emphasis of the conference is to match the civilian side of the equation to our military work. As I’ve said many times, we MUST get the balance right between the civil and military if we are to succeed – and we will.

At the conference, the United Nations and over 60 other delegations will be present to address the overall effort in Afghanistan. We’ll focus on governance, economics, and security. A key presentation will be by the Afghans themselves, as they lay out a course forward that includes everything from anti-corruption to ideas about reconciliation and reintegration of the Taliban.

Buckle up for 2010 in Afghanistan – it’ll be a fast ride, with lots of twists and turns. Yet overall I believe we can and will succeed.

Adm. James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

Last Friday I flew to my U.S. European Command (EUCOM) headquarters in Stuttgart to conduct an “All Hands” with the military and civilian personnel assigned to the headquarters at Patch Barracks. The flight from my NATO headquarters in Belgium was an airborne “sleigh ride,” and the landing a bit of a white knuckle experience. However, I really wanted to meet with the team and talk about the “way ahead” for 2010, share with them my perspective, and solicit their feedback.

Here I am addressing EUCOM military and civilian personnel during the All-Hands call.

Events like this are traditional throughout the military, and they afford the commander the chance to "reach-out" to colleagues and troops. Realistically, a command like EUCOM– with 200,000+ Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, civilians and family members – is too big to meet with everyone personally at once. But there are ways to use modern media to move the commander’s message, and this “All Hands” represented my first such engagement in the New Year.

We held the event in the Patch Fitness Center; it was a packed house, standing room only. I spoke from a boxing ring; it was the first time I’d been in a ring since Annapolis, which by the way was not an altogether good experience for me! However, this time my “ring experience” was much better.

Without going through everything, I covered four basic areas:

How pleased I am with EUCOM's performance over the last six months, and how happy I am with our general approach of civility, collegiality, coordination, and creativity.

The key activities ahead include continuing support to Afghanistan, improving relations with Russia, furthering cooperation with Turkey and Israel, strengthening relations in the Balkans, and continuing our focus on unexploded ordnance, missile defense, and counter-terrorism.

Some new (and not so new) ideas I want to focus on include strategic communication, social networking, establishment of a center for unexploded ordnance, and the creation of a task force for counter-narcotics cooperation.

And finally, along the lines of improving staff efficiency and effectiveness, I’ve asked our leaders to take a look at reorganizing our staff for better interagency and private-public cooperation, and above all, new approaches to international military partnering.

An important part of my message was partnering with NATO allies via my “other hat" of Supreme Allied Commander. Clearly, our NATO allies are working well with us in Afghanistan, the Balkans, on counter-piracy and counter-terrorism issues, and on Russian relations. EUCOM is an important part of making all of the above effective, and I talked about that as well.

I also had a chance to discuss the Behavioral “Bill of Rights,” which simply tells everyone in EUCOM that if they are having personal problems, please come forward – without fear of stigma or discrimination – to receive help and treatment from our colleagues, leaders and friends. I also recognized our wonderful Department of Defense “Teacher of the Year,” Susan Morris for her amazing award.

The most interesting question I received was from a shipmate who said, “You’ve told us what we’re doing right, and we appreciate it, Admiral. But where do we need to do better?” Great question. I said, “The two key places I am trying to improve personally, and where we all could improve to some extent, are simple: creativity and taking care of ourselves.”

In terms of creativity, the next decade will demand we think in unusual and new ways in order to combat the known and unknown threats and to meet the challenges we undoubtedly will face. In regards to improving personally, we all have a tendency to overdrive ourselves – so it’s important to take some leave and down-time, and hopefully use it to recharge and come back with a brand new idea we can pursue

All in all, it was a good session and the experience “in the boxing ring” was a big improvement over strapping on the gloves at Annapolis in the 1970s. However, that story is for another time. I flew back to Belgium pleased to have had the opportunity to reach-out to the command, and I look forward, more than ever, to a wonderful 2010.

Adm. James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

Happy Holidays to everyone. It’s been a busy couple weeks for us at European Command Public Affairs and in our social media realm.  We’ve been working hard to keep our Web site current and relevant and we'll be ringing in some great changes for the New Year, but we’ll keep those a surprise for now!

I’d like to switch gears for a minute and talk about something that I think is on a lot of families’ hearts and minds around this time. They are thinking about their moms and dads, their brothers and sisters, their sons and daughters, and their loved ones who are deployed and not able to be at home during this holiday season.

This is never an easy time being separated from family. And while it’s always tough on the children, we can’t forget about how hard it can be on the servicemembers as well.

There was a great blog written yesterday by Army Lieutenant Colonel Thiebes. He is the 1-10 Special Forces Group commander and he and his unit have been in Afghanistan for three consecutive Christmases now. He writes about the importance of the mission and how the troops are taken care of during this tough time of separation.  Take a moment to read about these folks and drop them a note.

Imagine being away from your family and friends for months on end and then having to be away from them during one of the most important holiday seasons.  It’s tough being away from the ones you love during the holiday season and serving in a warzone doesn’t help matters.

There was a beautiful poem written in 1987, by Lance Corporal James M. Schmidt, called A Soldiers Silent Night. Click here to listen to a version at Military Members and Veterans Blog site. It says so much more than I ever could.

Thank you to our U.S. servicemembers and our coalition partners, during this holiday season, for giving so greatly to so many. 

And thank you to YOU for following EUCOM and wanting to know more about who we are, what we do, and why we do it. 

Happy Holidays!

Maj. Kristi Beckman
Chief, Social Media
European Command Public Affairs

This Friday marks the third consecutive Christmas service members from 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group have been deployed in Afghanistan. The time spent away from our families and the hardships endured operating in austere locations are also borne by our NATO partners. The Hungarian and Romanian Special Operations Task Units train, plan, and operate side-by-side with their 1st Battalion counterparts. And while nothing can replace our families, the close knit camaraderie that has developed among the service members substitutes as a de facto family in itself. Friendships develop during the pre-mission training phase as the units prepare to deploy. Engagement events conducted in the EUCOM Area of Responsibility are purposely scheduled and tailored to increase capabilities and establish relationships with NATO SOF units who will deploy with 1st Battalion soldiers to Afghanistan.

Once in country, the American and NATO SOF units work to increase the capacity of Afghan National Security Forces to provide security for the local population. Additionally, the Task Units develop and execute civil affairs projects to assist the local governance and improve living conditions of the people. All of our operations and programs are conducted in cooperation with the battlespace owner, which is typically an American conventional brigade; however, we also operate in two French brigade sectors. One highlight from this past year was the organization of a fruit co-op for local farmers to quickly transport their pomegranate harvest to a juicing factory in Kabul which helps reduce the amount of fruit spoiled, thus increasing the farmers’ profits. Another project completed this year was the renovation of a local medical facility. The clinic now provides a clean and modern treatment area for the local doctor to care for patients. In an effort to create employment opportunities for local villagers, the Task Units worked with the local Provincial Reconstruction Team to develop bazaar clean-up crews and a roadway security program. Both of these programs have provided jobs and a sense of ownership to the villagers.

A formation composed of Task Force 10 Soldiers bow their heads in honor of Chief Warrant Officer Doug Vose during the dedication ceremony, Dec. 19.

Being separated from our loved ones is a small price to pay as we endeavor to make Afghanistan a better place for its people. Unfortunately, at times we pay a much larger price. In the regions where we operate, the threat of enemy contact is high. This past year we lost one of our soldiers, CW2 Doug Vose, who was killed in action on 29 July 2009. Last week we officially dedicated our headquarters camp in Kabul in his memory. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Vose family this holiday season.

Task Force 10 officially dedicated its headquarters camp in Kabul to Chief Warrant Officer Doug Vose who lost his life in battle on July 29, 2009.

We miss our families greatly but conduct our assigned mission with full confidence as we enjoy their unwavering love and support. Our mission here is challenging, but we are motivated and prepared for the task. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. We believe our time spent deployed to Afghanistan will contribute to a brighter future for the Afghan people and a safer world for our families to inhabit. Task Force 10 wishes everyone a Happy Holiday season and a healthy and rewarding New Year.

LTC George Thiebes
1-10 SFG(A) Battalion Commander

I've received a lot of good feedback on Afghanistan, including a series of comments and questions that center around how we will use the 37,000-troop uplift. Let me take a moment and share four quick thoughts that connect to a number of those questions.

First, I am very grateful to the nations that have contributed to this uplift. The entire NATO alliance and all our ISAF partners -- 43 today with more coming -- are committing themselves to success in Afghanistan. That is in and of itself a vital message to the people of Afghanistan AND to the Taliban that seek to overthrow the government and impose their tyranny on the population -- which does NOT support them.

Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell, IV, commander NATO Training Mission Afghanistan

Second, in terms of how we'll use these new troops, a significant number will be focused on training. All security must be local, and we'll be working very hard to train the Afghan Army and Police so they can ultimately take responsibility for their own nation. This will be challenging, but we've created a new NATO command - NATO Training Mission to Afghanistan - to lead it, and appointed Lt. Gen. Bill Caldwell, a superb general with a wealth of experience from service in Iraq, to command it. The new troops will also execute the strategy of protecting the Afghan people -- putting them at the center of the equation. This is classic counterinsurgency. In order to foster a climate of success, we must focus on the Afghan people for without their support, it will be impossible to root out the Taliban and stop further support.

Third, I think the "next big thing" that must happen in Afghanistan is a better alignment between civilian and military efforts. Everyone on all sides is working hard, but we can work smarter if we do it together. There will be a major international conference in London early in 2010 to discuss how to improve the interagency and military partnering. I'm confident the international policy makers involved will create the right structure to bring civil and military efforts together smoothly. We are truly "stronger together."

ISAF troops meet with local police and education officials in Chapahar District

Fourth, all of us involved in this undertaking have an obligation to do what I'm doing right now: communicate. We need to explain to the people of Afghanistan what we are doing and why. We have to put them first, and we must convince them to stand with us. Equally important, we need to communicate to the populations of each nation supporting ISAF what our approach is all about and why we think it is the right strategy to move forward. We must earn our allies' and partners’ support with good actions and credible communication. And finally, we must communicate to the Taliban themselves, and their allies, al-Qaeda, that we have the courage, the capacity, and the resolve to succeed in Afghanistan -- which I firmly believe we will.

Adm. James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

Yesterday President Obama laid out the strategy for Afghanistan, and announced the addition of 30,000 troops. Today and Friday, the NATO Foreign Ministers will meet in Brussels to discuss a wide range of NATO topics, including Afghanistan of course. Secretary Clinton will lead the U.S. delegation. I will be there to brief the Foreign Ministers and I look forward to it. I will be joined by General McChrystal and General Ramms, my key team leaders focused on Afghanistan.

Early next week, at our headquarters here in Mons, Belgium, we will lead the "Force Generation Conference" at which all 28 NATO allies will pledge forces as did the U.S. I am confident we'll top 5,000 additional allied troops, and I expect more -- hopefully several thousand more -- in the months ahead.

This is a team challenge in Afghanistan, and in addition to 28 NATO nations, there are 15 other significant contributing countries to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, for which we are grateful. The United Nations supports this fully, with hundreds of workers "on the ground."
This is indeed a global effort.

This team effort also extends to the U.S. European Command with its support to NATO in the form of pre-deployment training of Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Germany. These OMLTs will deploy in support of ISAF and NATO partners.

I am very confident that we have the right team in place in Afghanistan and Brunssum. The troop commitments demonstrate the resolve and determination of NATO and partner nations to support the Afghan people. We will focus on training Afghan security forces so that we can begin the gradual process of transferring security responsibility as soon as possible. I believe we will make significant progress within 18 months, which will allow us to begin to redeploy some forces. All of this will be based on conditions on the ground, of course, but I believe we can, will, and indeed must succeed in Afghanistan in order to avoid a return of Al-Qaeda to what Secretary Gates has correctly described as "the epicenter of global terror" under the former Taliban regime.

This is vital and I believe we will succeed.

One of you recently asked me in this forum two incredibly important questions: what am I doing to get more NATO countries into the fight in Afghanistan, and what am I doing to engage Russia?

First, let us clearly understand that EVERY nation in NATO is "in the fight" in Afghanistan. This is a committed alliance.

Second, as the Secretary General has said, "This Alliance is about sharing security, but that doesn't just mean sharing the benefits. It also means sharing the costs and the risks." The nations that comprise NATO of course need to make their own determinations as to what contributions they make to NATO operations in Afghanistan. My job is to provide them, through NATO leadership in Brussels, with timely, accurate information about the operational environment so that they can make well-informed decisions. I spend a lot of time in dialogue with Brussels and nations to ensure that they have the latest information on the current environment, the progress we've made, and the challenges that remain.

Third, I try to make the case everywhere I go that we are a team that is "stronger together," and that no one of us -- no one nation -- is as capable as all of us pulling together. There is a real synergy in all of us pulling together and the sum truly is greater than the simple addition of the parts in Afghanistan.

On Russia, my belief is that we can and will find many zones of practical cooperation with Russia. I wholeheartedly second the Secretary General's assertion that "we face many common security challenges [with Russia] and should develop a practical cooperation in areas where we are faced with the same security threats."

The Secretary General is planning a trip to Russia later this year, and I hope that there will be opportunity in the next few years for me to make a similar trip in order to better define areas within the security arena in which we share common interests and may actively cooperate. This is 'work in progress' involving 28 nations and will likely include a set of cooperation activities for 2010.

From a personal perspective, I would suggest counter-piracy, arms control, Afghanistan, counter-proliferation, cyber activity, the High North, counter-narcotics, and military training are all potential areas of cooperation and dialogue.

Adm. James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

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.

The Defense Ministerial is a chance for all 28 of the NATO Defense leaders (Ministers and Secretaries of Defense) to gather in a plenary session for a couple of days and discuss key issues.  Our new Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, led the event.

General Lubomir Bulik, Slovakia Chief of Defense and I walk to the office of the Slovakian Minister of Defense. This was my first official visit to the country since taking command of SHAPE in July.

Bratislava is Slovakia's historic capital perched on the Danube River. The city of a half-million in a country of some five million is full of lovely classic European architecture and within a few minutes drive from  the Tatra mountain range and hundreds of medieval castles and historic villages, some of them declared UN world heritage sites.

The conference began with speeches and a brief presentation of Slovakian culture, including short performances in opera, contemporary ballet, and vibrant folk dancing.  The President and Minister of Defense of Slovakia welcomed everyone, and we swiftly went off to a working dinner.  In the conference hall, a huge circular table seated all 28 Defense leaders as well as the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Italian Adm.Giampaolo DiPaola; the Commander of Allied Command Transformation, French Air Force Gen. Stephan Abrial; and me.  The dinner meeting was crisply run by the Secretary General, and afforded both me and Gen. Stan McChrystal, International Security Assistance Force commander, the chance to report on the situation in Afghanistan.

We followed up the next morning by a busy day of meetings and a working lunch that included the 28 NATO leaders, the 14 Ministers of Defense from Troop Contributing Nations who are engaged in Afghanistan outside of NATO (e.g. Australia, Sweden, New Zealand etc); Minister of Defense Wardak of Afghanistan; and Ambassador Kai Eide, the UN High Representative.  Both are good friends and colleagues doing hard work in challenging circumstances.  Again, the meetings focused on Afghanistan, the upcoming Presidential run-off election there, and the ISAF mission in general.

In addition to the obvious and vital discussions on Afghanistan, there was time to speak of the NATO Response Force, the Alliances “Quick Reaction” capability; transformation and the potential for reform and reorganization; missile defense and the new U.S. proposals with an eye toward NATO involvement; and a variety of other key issues.  Both Secretary General Rasmussen and Secretary of Defense Bob Gates highlighted the Alliance's solidarity during their press conferences, and I echo their sense of alliance solidarity across the wide range of topics.  There was plenty of spirited discussion and challenging questions, but I came away from the meetings – my first as SACEUR, although I’ve attended many in other jobs – with a very positive sense of the alliance and the individual leaders.

As the NATO conference concluded on Friday, I was invited to remain for a series of meetings with Slovakian defense leaders.  My host was the Chief of the Defense Staff, four-star General Lubomir Bulik.  He and I attended meetings with the Slovak Minister of Defense, Minister of Interior, and Chairman of the Defense Committee in the Parliament.  At each meeting, we discussed the strong Slovak commitment to NATO in general and the mission in Afghanistan in particular.  I was also able to discuss some topics of interest under my U.S. European Command hat, including mutual use of training areas for preparation of allies for the ISAF mission.

Adm. James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

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I'm flying over western Afghanistan at 35,000 feet, just heading out of the country. We're passing over the Caspian Sea and soon will be over the Caucuses.  This is a complicated part of the world.

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.

Receiving a briefing at Forward Operating Base Shawquat in Nad e-Ali by British troop commander Lieutenant Colonel Roley.

"First is security," he said. "It is the mother of all development." When I pressed him for what comes next on the list, he said, "Education, health, and electricity." With us at the table was the leader of a British Provincial Reconstruction Team, a group of civilian aid workers focusing on development. He seconded the view, and spoke about the programs they are putting in place in this agrarian part of Afghanistan where sadly the principal crop is opium poppies.

The conversation reinforced my oft-stated view that in the end we will not deliver security in Afghanistan from the barrel of a gun. We'll need a few guns along the way, no doubt; but the key is getting the right balance of civilian and military work done in concert together.

My time at Forward Operating Base Shawquat, where British troops are working across the southern Helmand valley, was particularly illuminating. Their approach is clearly one of reaching out in positive ways to the surrounding communities in the heart of the Pashtun south.

I stood in a Sanger, an elevated guard tower built on the ruins of an old British fort from the second Anglo-Afghan war of the 1880s. The young soldier with me had plenty of firepower; but in talking to him, it was clear he'd been carefully briefed on holding back. "The most important bullet is the one you don't fire," one senior leader has said about Afghanistan. The restraint that allows the building of trust between our ISAF forces and the Afghan people is crucial.

After leaving the British operating base, I flew to the U.S. Marine enclave, the headquarters of Task Force Leatherneck, where the commander, Brigadier General Larry Nicholson briefed me before turning me loose to talk to his Marines and Sailors. Larry is a stocky Citadel graduate who has seen plenty of combat, and took serious shrapnel wounds in Iraq. He used a dried poppy stalk as a pointer as he outlined the area for me on a map tacked to his plywood wall. It's a long way from the Pentagon and laser pointers and power point presentations, I thought.

General Nicholson talked about the need for more Afghan troops in the fight alongside coalition forces, and I strongly agree. In fact, my key focus area going forward in my NATO command will be exactly that: training the Afghan security forces, both Army and Police. How does this end? It ends when we train the Afghan people to take care of their country. But they'll need us as a "bridging force" for several years to come, I think.

After a day in the south, I moved on to the capital. In my conversations with Army General Stan McChrystal - the leader of our NATO / International Security Force Afghanistan force of about 70,000 soldiers from 28 NATO nations and 14 other countries - it is clear that he is passionate about getting the civilian-military balance right, and also training the Afghan forces. His new assessment puts the Afghan people at the "center of gravity," and he is looking for the right ways to partner with the international civilian community.

I also met with Ambassador Kai Eide, the UN High Representative. He and Stan sound like solid teammates. Each is seeking the right balance of civilian and military effects, and each is a good-hearted and transparent partner to the other from all that I can see. And each clearly has a strong relationship with the international Ambassadors in Kabul, including Karl Eikenberry of the U.S., an old friend of mine.

The challenges are extraordinary, but so are the people in charge of meeting them. This is my third trip to Afghanistan in the past four months, and I'm cautiously - very cautiously - optimistic. I think the approach laid out - civil military balance, training the Afghan security forces, putting the Afghan people at the heart of the equation, smart communications that tell the story both in country and in capitals around the world - will move us in the right direction.

As the NATO Commander for operations and SACEUR I am very focused on this challenge; and as U.S. European Commander, I am equally aware of the international military partnering that must occur among all the nations involved, the majority from Europe. We really are "stronger together."

Admiral James Stavridis
Commander
U.S. European Command

Meeting with the Minister of Defense of Portugal, Nuno Severiano Teixeira, on 21 SEP 09.

I had a good series of meetings in Lisbon, Portugal on Monday. The gathering in Lisbon was with all of the Defense Chiefs from the 28 nations of NATO. We focused on two key topics for the alliance: Afghanistan and the Strategic Concept.

Afghanistan, of course, is the “here and now.” General Stan McChrystal presented his classified briefing on the situation there. He emphasized the need to protect the Afghan population in order to defeat the insurgency; the requirement for robust training for Afghan security forces; and the imperative to achieve the right balance of civil-military efforts in this challenging situation.

The Strategic Concept is, on the other hand, all about the future of NATO. Every ten years, the alliance tends to take a step back and assess where it is headed. One of the distinguished speakers, New York Times columnist Roger Cohen, spoke of needing to understand “the four Rs” of NATO: relevance, range, resources, and results. I think he has it about right, and he specifically talked about the need to “get the message right” to the younger generations who have little understanding of what this transatlantic bridge is all about.

I jumped on a plane yesterday and headed to Croatia and Montenegro. This time, wearing my hat as Commander of U.S. European Command (EUCOM), I am headed to observe a superb special forces exercise in Croatia, then attend a five-nation conference on Balkan security in Montenegro.

The flight down gave me time to finalize the fundamentals for EUCOM:  a vision, mission, set of themes, and a motto.

EUCOM Mission: U.S. European Command conducts military operations and builds partner capacity to enhance transatlantic security and defend the homeland forward.

EUCOM Vision: An agile security organization with a "whole of government" approach seeking to support enduring stability and peace in Europe and Eurasia.

EUCOM Themes:
• Ready forces provide regional security.
• Mutual security challenges require cooperative solutions.
• EUCOM is committed to enduring partnerships.

EUCOM Motto: "Stronger Together"

Getting the fundamentals right is important, and I think we’ve got it right here.  As always, though, I look forward to hearing what you think.

It’s a busy week of both NATO and U.S. European Command business, but with good progress on all fronts – and thank goodness for the ability to move so rapidly between capitals to be part of security in Europe!

Admiral James G. Stavridis
Commander
U.S. European Command

Last week, in the second of the EPTF blogs, I discussed the concept of framework nations and discussed a concept for getting framework nations involved in the EPTF.

I'm going to ask four questions below and would appreciate your insights and feedback that will help to define this concept, as well as determining what capabilities to help our partners to build.

I'd like you to take a look at the graphic to the right. It is a way of looking at capability and capacity building.  Ideally, we want to build capability--you use capability.  But in order to ensure that we can both build and sustain capability, we must ensure we have the capacity.  Ideally, our capability building objectives are stated in clear terms, such as "within two years, be able to sustain the continuous deployment a light infantry company for full-spectrum operations in conjunction with other NATO forces".  In order to manifest this capability, the partner nation needs the capacity to organize, train, equip, sustain and deploy a company.  Because it is a continuous requirement, the partner needs at least a battalion to rotate companies.  The companies must meet NATO standards for both doctrine and command and control.   The DOTMLPF (Doctrine,  Organization, Training, Material, Leadership, Personnel and Facilities) model provides a comprehensive way to both assess the current capacity as well as to determine what capacity needs to be developed to meet the stated capability goal.

The top part of the figure--determining the capability objective--describes a joint process.  First, we look at established requirements and needs.  For example, NATO publishes a Combined Joint Statement of Requirements (CJSOR) for requirements in Afghanistan.  Next, as we look at potential partners, we review what they currently have for both capability and capacity.  For quick turn requirements, such as filling gaps in a CJSOR, we may want to find partners that can quickly manifest the required capability.  Finally, we have to look at the top circle--National Will.  This looks at how likely the partner will be to actually deploy the capability and if so, what kind of caveats the government will impose.  If the government is unlikely to deploy the capability or impose significant caveats on its employment, the investment in capability and capacity building may not provide the desired operational capability.

The bottom part of the figure looks at the capability and capacity building system.  It takes trained personnel, a sound strategy, the proper authorities, process and infrastructure and money to build partner capability and capacity.  These resources represent the investment we make in building partnership capability and capacity.

Ideally, we ensure that the capabilities we help our partners to manifest and sustain merit the investment we must make.

Note, that while the capability objective noted above was military, it could just as easily be a civil security objective, such as "within two years be able to stand-up an incident management command and control system that provides integrated communications from first responders to a national level operations center and provides an integrated Common Operational Picture and decision support tools in order to respond to national and regional crises."  This is clearly an interagency requirement.  It also puts a different spin on questions about National Will.  In this case, National Will questions could reflect policies on data sharing, security and how willing the partner will be to provide response assets to other countries within its region.

I'd like your thoughts on a few of the dynamics involved in the model:

1. How do we get our framework partners fully involved in the process?


2. How do we share the investment costs among the US and our framework partners?


3. How do we quickly assess a partner's capability and capacity?


4. How do we assess a partner's will and work with their leadership--both military and political--to strengthen their desire to support deployments and to lower their caveats on deployed forces?

Thank you for any ideas and insights you choose to offer.

Give Way Together!

BG Jeffery Marshall

EPTF Conference Logo

The EPTF is designed from top to bottom, left to right to embody the concept of Partnership.  That's why we selected the image to the right and the motto, Give Way Together for the conference.  We're all in this together and need to work as a team to make progress.  And that we did during the conference.  I know this spirit will carry forward as we start to implement the EPTF.

We designed the conference to answer the Information Requirements (IR) that support the Mission Analysis phase of EPTF Decision Support Template (DST).  Sounds a like a mouthful, but it's really pretty simple:  the DST gathers the information we need to know to make an informed, effective decision and provides some structure the decision making process.  The EPTF DST has three phases that lead to a successful stand-up.  Each phase has one or more key decisions that support the successful conclusion of the phase.

To answer the IRs, we invited representatives from NATO, DoD, the Joint Staff, our components, CENTCOM, US Forces-Afghanistan, the states in our SPP and the USAR and USNR.   We discussed issues ranging from the requirements in Afghanistan to how to conduct partner train and equip programs and from the right funding sources to getting the right people involved in the processes.

In both my U.S. European Command and my NATO “hats,” I spend a great deal of time focusing on the challenges in Afghanistan.

We’ve just seen the Afghan people complete the first round of the Presidential election. President Obama said, “"This was an important step forward in the Afghan people's efforts to take control of their future, even as violent extremists are trying to stand in their way." He went on to say, "We look forward to renewing our partnership with the Afghan people as they move ahead under a new government."

An Afghan instructor mentored by a Czech instructor provides training to ANP soldiers in Logar province.

Yet the situation is extremely serious. While I remain convinced that the Coalition, working with the Afghan people, will ultimately win in Afghanistan – the stakes are high – the situation is extremely challenging. The NATO Secretary General recently said, “NATO – by which I mean both sides of the Atlantic -- will do its full part, but we can’t do it alone. This has to be an international team effort, military and civilian – with more effort from the Afghans themselves as well….It will not be easy, and the past month has made that bitterly clear. But it can be done. And we will do it. Let there be no doubt about that.”

After two trips to Afghanistan in the last couple of months, many hours of conversation with our superb NATO and U.S. commander there, General Stan McChrystal, discussions with academics, experts, and historians, I agree the situation is indeed serious. But, it is far from hopeless, and what we do over the next year or so will set the course.

While my own thinking is still evolving, and I am awaiting General McChrystal’s assessment, I believe there are four fundamental keys to achieving a successful outcome in Afghanistan. None is particularly new or surprising, but taken together I believe they would be extremely contributory to success:

 

An Afghan elder shows his purple inked finger to indicate that he voted during the Presidential and Provincial Council elections in Barg e Matal, Nuristan Province, on 20 August. Afghan village elders are considered to be the role models and leaders among the Afghan civilians. Photo credit: ISAF

Putting the Afghan people at the center of gravity. It is insufficient to simply kill Taliban; in fact, it can lead to the creation of what my friend and counter-terrorism expert David Kilcullen has aptly termed “accidental guerrillas,” those who take up arms in response to military action. Reducing collateral damage is key, but much more is involved, and I believe this is at the heart of General McChrystal’s approach.

Achieving effective balance between civil and military activities. In Afghanistan, as I have said before, security will not be achieved at gunpoint. It is a combination of economic, political, governance, medical, infrastructure, and other deliverables that is achieved by diplomats undertaking Diplomacy and development experts working on Development, even as those of us on the military side work on Defense – the 3D approach. We must work it together with interagency, international, and indeed private sector partners as part of a holistic approach.

Effective Strategic Communication. The messages must be well defined and communicated both within Afghanistan to the Afghan people; and to the nations engaged in the conflict. In both cases, a truthful, realistic antidote to the very effective negative messaging coming from the Taliban must be crafted. There is a key technical component to this as well as the need for deep expertise and understanding of culture and history, both in Afghanistan and in other nations around the world.

U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. William McCollough speaks with Afghan National Police officers at Patrol Base Jaker, in Nawa district, Helmand province, Afghanistan, on Aug. 16, 2009. The Afghan National Police officers came to coordinate the security arrangements for the upcoming presidential elections. DoD photo by Staff Sgt. William Greeson, U.S. Marine Corps.

Training Afghan Security Forces. There is a common expression that “all politics is local.” In fact, all security is local too in the end. We must have an effective number of trained, equipped, and organized Afghan military and police forces. General McChrystal is analyzing how big this force should be, but Afghanistan is a big country and eventually this will be “how it ends” – by training Afghans to defend and police their own nation. NATO has already taken the lead in the training of Afghan Security Forces, and their performance during the recent elections was superb.

There are certainly other elements that are key and important, including potential discussions with the so-called “reconcilable” Taliban; relations with neighboring states, notably Pakistan, and counter-narcotics work. The needs and challenges are great, but the international community – working together – has sufficient resources. The key is partnership, transparency between all actors, and timely action.

The next step, once the outcome of the elections is known, will be General McChrystal’s assessment, expected within a week or so. After the international community has a chance to digest and analyze that, we at European Command and NATO Allied Command Operations will be ready to take on political and policy guidance and move forward as part of the team engaged in this crucial mission.

Admiral James G. Stavridis
Commander
United States European Command

The Georgian Minister of Defense will contribute an infantry battalion to serve under the United States supporting the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

In order to prepare the Georgian unit for deployment in March 2010 and follow-on deployments, U.S. Marine Forces, Europe, will begin a training program called the Georgia Deployment Program-International Security Assistance Force or GDP-ISAF. Marine Corps trainers will begin to arrive in the Georgia on/or about Aug.15 and will commencement with training on/or about Sept. 1.

GDP-ISAF is a two-year program consisting of four six-month rotations and culminating with a Mission Rehearsal Exercise at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany.

Each rotation is comprised of six phases. The phases are designed to support training at all levels, from basic first aid to the more advanced, battalion staff-level planning process. At the end of the six month train-up, the Georgian infantry battalions will be trained, equipped and integrated with U.S. forces in order to conduct operations in a counterinsurgency environment.

Georgia's offer to serve alongside NATO and ISAF partners is a vital contribution to the mission of bringing peace and security to Afghanistan.

The latest information on the deployment can be found at the Georgia Deployment Program page.

CAPT Ed Buclatin, USN
EUCOM Director of Public Affairs

EUCOM is building the European Coalition Task Force (ECTF) to further our partnership efforts. The ECTF's immediate goal will be to generate, train and deploy Operational Mentor and Liaison Teams (OMLT) to Afghanistan.

Latvian and Michigan OMLT Team Members in Afghanistan

OMLTs are small teams of officers and NCOs whose primary task is to coach, teach and mentor Afghan National Army (ANA) units, provide the conduit for liaison and Command and Control and, when required, support the operational planning and employment of the ANA. These teams can be from one country or co-deployments from multiple countries, such as the one currently in Afghanistan composed of Michigan and Latvian soldiers.

As the ANA grows to meet operational requirements in Afghanistan, the need for OMLTs could expand dramatically. The ECTF's charter is to help meet this expanding need with trained OMLTs.

EUCOM will host a conference here at Stuttgart August 17-19 to answer some of the key questions we need answered to define the ECTF's mission and determine its organization. The conference will include representatives from the Department of Defense, the State Department, the National Guard Bureau, the states in EUCOM's State Partnership Program and our component commands. At the conclusion of the conference, we should have all the information we need to develop the ECTF concept of operations.

We're looking forward to hosting the multi-agency team and will report back next week on how the conference went.

Give way together!

BG Jeffrey Marshall
Director, EUCOM Directorate of Mobilization and Reserve Affairs

I started last week in Lisbon, on the heels of a trip to Stuttgart the previous Friday for staff briefings at European Command (EUCOM) and EUCOM's Annual Summer Reception, which included a spectacular concert with an Elvis Presley impersonator in full U.S. Army regalia!

I was in Lisbon for a significant event: the change of command of the major NATO Headquarters there, where a senior French officer took command of a key NATO military post.

Me handing the guidon to Lt Gen Philippe Stoltz

I was very proud to officiate and speak, along with the Portuguese Minister of Defence, Nuno Severiano Teixeira, as Lieutenant General Phillipe Stoltz, a French Army 3-star, proudly took command.  Over some good Portuguese wine in the officer’s mess later, I was able to personally welcome Phillipe. I said, “C’est un jour important pour France, mais c’est un jour magnifique pour notre l’Alliance.” (It is an important day for France, but it is a magnificent day for our alliance).

I also visited an innovative organization: the Maritime Analysis and Operations Center. This small group with representatives from seven European nations is focused on counter-narcotics from their operations center in Lisbon. Comparable to the U.S. Joint Interagency Task Force South in Key West (with whom they frequently collaborate), they seek to coordinate the law enforcement efforts of European nations to stem the flow of into the continent drugs (estimated by JIATFS to be in the region of 550+ tons of cocaine annually, for example). Headed up by an exuberant Brit, Tim Manhire, they have shown much success and I hope to partner with them under my European Command hat in interagency and international counter-narcotic work.

ANA soldier on patrol in a poppy field

From there, I flew to Kabul. I left one important area of the world to another one that I care deeply about. I had meetings first with our brilliant NATO Commander, General Stan McChrystal.  Although relatively recently arrived, the energy, drive, and intelligence of the new commander were on clear display. We had a long talk about our approach, as well as his initial tactical directives. We generally agreed that:

• Protecting the Afghan people must be the central focus of our operations   – protecting them and gaining their trust
• We must quickly build the Afghan National Army and Police to a level that permits them to gradually take responsibility throughout their land. At the end of the day, “all true security is local.”
• Cooperation with all civil elements – the United Nations mission, the various embassies, all of the international aid organizations – is crucial. Based on my experiences in Latin America and the Caribbean, I’ve come to believe that security is seldom delivered by the barrel of a gun.
• International, interagency, combined military and even private-public integration will be the keys.

President Karzai and me

I also had meetings with President Hamid Karzai; Minister of Defense Abdul Rahim Wardak; NATO Senior Civilian Representative, Ambassador Fernando Gentilini; Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, Ambassador Kai Eide; and U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry and his team of senior leaders (including five full ambassadors).

Minister Wardak and me

Everyone recognizes the seriousness of the situation, and there is a great deal of focus on the upcoming election, scheduled for 20 August. Ensuring proper security and a full and free path to the polling stations is foremost in everyone’s mind at the moment.

My scheduled trip to the north – to Konduz, where our German allies are working hard – fell through with an aircraft problem, but both General McChrystal and I were able to provide the North Atlantic Council and Military Committee (28 Ambassadors and 28 senior military representatives) with a full briefing from the field.

Kocatepe Mosque in Ankara

After leaving Afghanistan, I flew directly to Turkey for two days of meetings and visits with our Turkish allies.  In addition to placing a wreath at the Mausoleum of Ataturk, I held meetings with Ambassador Jim Jeffries and the Turkish senior leadership.  I had a good one-on-one with General İlker Başbuğ, the Turkish Chief of Defense, and we discussed Turkey’s excellent contributions in Afghanistan, their increasing regional leadership role, cooperation on the border with Iraq against the terrorist PKK, and future engagement.
 

Mr. Mustafa Hakki Ozer, Muftu of Ankara, Mr. Kadir Temel, Imam of the Kocatepe Mosque and me

Turkey is a vital and important NATO ally, and for me it was a chance to return to the nation from which my grandfather and grandmother emigrated to the United States, after stopping briefly in Greece.

As I write this flying back to Mons and my new home in Belgium, I am struck by the scale of the past week – Stuttgart to Lisbon to Kabul to Ankara – and the range of issues.  All are connected by the NATO alliance: the bridge that allows a flow of ideas, interaction, and good works, today on three continents in this turbulent world.