Blog Posts tagged with "Afghanistan"
Don't Miss the Forest for the Trees
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As I reflect on my first visit as SACEUR to Afghanistan this past week I am tremendously impressed with the commitment and professionalism of the ISAF and Afghan troops I met there. The work they do and the sacrifices they make every day are astonishing. Given the challenges in Afghanistan, the progress that ISAF and their Afghan partners continue to make is monumental. This progress, however, is not widely reflected in much of the coverage we see about Afghanistan. In fact, most of the stories in the media highlight the instances of violence along with the dozens of other challenges ISAF, the ANSF and the people of Afghanistan face every day. It is understandable that some who focus on these incidents can come away uncertain whether the efforts and sacrifices made over the past 12 years have been worthwhile. To these people I would suggest they take a step back and take a look at the larger picture before making a judgment about the current and future state of affairs in Afghanistan.
Consider the ground on which the people of Afghanistan stood over a decade ago; firmly held under the thumbscrews of the Taliban government. Afghanistan was a breeding ground for international terrorism that threatened nations across the globe. Today, the Taliban remains a threat but it continues to be degraded thanks to the relentless pressure put on them by the Afghan security forces. This capability ensures that Afghanistan is no longer a haven for terrorists.
For more than a decade ISAF has battled to fight the extremist organisations that once plagued the nation, creating the space and time available for the Afghan national security forces to grow and take on the fight. It has helped the Afghan government to crawl out from Taliban control and stand freely on its own two feet.
General Philip Breedlove (left), Supreme Allied Commander Europe, met with Minister Mujtaba Patang, Minister of Interior, at the Ministry for Interior building, Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 22, 2013. Afghanistan is a nation that is being progressively built, secured, and maintained by the Afghan people. NATO and ISAF have served as a scaffolding of sorts which has enabled Afghans to rebuild their structures. But as those structures near completion, the scaffolding is being carefully removed, leaving the finished product to stand freely.
Next year Afghanistan will hold elections, a major milestone as the country moves forward. Today, Afghan National Security Forces plan, lead, and implement over 87% of security missions throughout Afghanistan, providing security for nearly 90% of the population. Within the coming weeks we will see Afghan security forces taking the lead for security across the country. These are big picture facts.
Soldiers of Company C "Chaos”, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, Combined Task Force 4-2 and Weapons Company, 6th Kandak, 205th Afghan National Army prepare to load onto a CH-47 Chinook helicopter May 4 near the Kheybari Ghar ridgeline in the Panjwa’i District of Afghanistan Have there been stumbling blocks along the way? Yes, and there is certainly much more work to do in the coming months. But as NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen stated, Afghanistan is worth the cost. In our ever-shrinking and globalised world, the security of our own nations is inextricably linked to the stability of other regions, which is one reason why an enduring commitment in Afghanistan is important. Another reason is that the sweat and sacrifice of the ISAF contributing nations and the ANSF has given the people of Afghanistan the opportunity to build on progress already made and to secure their future. It is now within their grasp and soon will be fully in their hands.
General Philip Breedlove (2nd from left), Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and General Joseph Dunford (left), Commander ISAF, met with Minister Bismillah Khan Mohammadi (2nd from right), Minister for Defence, and General Sher Karimi (right), Chief of Defence, at the Ministry for Defence building, Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 22, 2013.
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Previous Posts
“NATO post ISAF Mission: Collective Defense or Operations, Partners and Transitions”
After 12 years of war in Afghanistan – the longest war in American history – it’s easy to understand why many these days on both sides of the Atlantic would prefer to avoid any talk of new NATO expeditionary missions anytime soon, and to return to the so-called "core mission" of collective defense. But with all due respect to the title of this panel, I don’t see the concepts of collective defense and expeditionary missions as mutually exclusive, but rather as integral parts of one continuum.
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At Voyage's End, Some Final Thoughts...
What a voyage! Certainly I've had my fair share of challenges along the way but we have also had plenty of great successes (due largely to the hard work of those on my various teams), and a few tie scores as well. As I look back over these past four years in particular, there were a number of solid accomplishments and a few stubborn difficulties -- but at the center of it all were wonderful human relationships.
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Looking Ahead, Building Bridges…Three Big Issues
As I look at NATO and U.S. European Command in 2013, I see three big agenda items. First, we have to get Afghanistan right as we shift our mission from combat, to train, advise and assist. We've laid the right tracks for the change in early 2015. At the moment, we are working with all 28 NATO nations and with a number of potential partners to define the new mission post-2014.
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Russia: A Complicated Partnership
NATO’s relationship with Russia is a complicated partnership with many facets.
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Way Up North ...
In Afghanistan I'm just flying towards Europe over the Black Sea, and the wind is blowing hard, creating white caps on the surface of that vast inland body of water.
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Listening to the Afghans
Three days in Afghanistan -- and, as usual, I came away with a cautious sense that things are moving in the right direction, particularly in the security sector -- despite all the challenges.
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Brussels and the Balkans
I spent the early part of the week at the meeting of the NATO Defence Ministers at NATO Headquarters up in Brussels, about 45 minutes north of my operational command in Mons, Belgium. The second was with the NATO and additional troop contributing nations to our ongoing mission in Kosovo.
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An Active Autumn Ahead
As we wrap up high summer, it's a sensible time to look ahead at the fall and think about the big tasks facing the NATO Alliance and US European Command. The Olympics and the Jubilee fade to memory, and hopefully most folks have managed to break away for a short vacation to recharge. The autumn will be a busy time.
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Rejoinder to "Punch Them in the Nose ... and Then Leave" by CDR John Kuehn, Proceedings
While I certainly sympathize with the thrust of John Kuehn's title in his energetic article about the situation in Afghanistan, I'd like to offer a somewhat different perspective from my position as the Supreme Allied Commander for all NATO operations, including the 140,000, 50-nation coalition in Afghanistan.
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Three Good Events in Afghanistan
Afghanistan is always challenging. We continue to focus on the ongoing insurgency, the presence of terrorists across the border in Pakistan, and a persistent level of corruption. Yet over the past few days, we've had a string of fairly positive developments.
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NATO: A Summer Agenda
As NATO finishes up the successful Chicago Summit and moves into the summer months, several key issues are bubbling.
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Commitment to 2014 and Beyond
As the North Atlantic Council finished up the 25th Summit it is clearly evident that it was a summit of commitment. The Alliance made the commitment to complete transition in Afghanistan and to support Afghans in achieving a stable future. It also made the commitment to ensuring NATO is capable of dealing with 21st century challenges, as well as the commitment to further strengthen connections with our global partners. Most importantly, the Chicago Summit demonstrated our commitment to each other - the unbreakable bond between North America and Europe, which remains the bedrock of our security.
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Back From 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.
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Afghanistan in 2012
The New Year is unfolding, and I'm thinking about Afghanistan. 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.
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Interacting with AID
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.
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Developing a True Strategic Partnership with 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.
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Briefing the Ministers …
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.
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Three Transitions in Afghanistan
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.
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Adm. Stavridis' speech "The Words They Leave To Us"
<h2>Click through the photos with the arrow below to see the video of Adm. Stavridis' speech.</h2>
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The Words They Leave To Us
I want to give voice to the men and women who have given their lives for this nation.
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My speech notes from the Atlantic Council Awards dinner: Why NATO Matters …
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.
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Reflections on Osama bin Laden's Death
It's been a long decade, but a key step in the global effort to end violentextremism has been achieved, executed by incredibly dedicated professionals.
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Advances in Afghanistan
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.
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Meeting of the NATO Defense Ministers
We just finished an excellent two-day meeting in Brussels with the 28 NATO Defense Ministers -- including, of course, my bosses Secretary of Defense Bob Gates and Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The meeting focused on one expected challenge -- Afghanistan -- and one new issue, Libya.
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Munich Security Conference Brings out the Stars
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.
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Local Procurement in Latvia Strengthens Northern Distribution Network
The United States European Command (USEUCOM) plays an important role supplying the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. I’d like to explain how building business relationships with companies in the USEUCOM area of responsibility can have a positive effect on that effort.
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A Few Days in Afghanistan
The security situation in Helmand Province was significantly different this month than it was when I last visited in January 2010. I was especially struck by the continued improvement in the performance and size of the Afghan security forces down south. In 2010, there were roughly 10,000 ISAF servicemen and 2,000 ANSF in Helmand Province, roughly a 5:1 ratio. Today, there are 30,000 ISAF and 30,000 ANSF – a 1:1 ratio with Afghan forces increasingly in the lead. Afghan flags fly across the province, schools are open, bazaars are thriving. There is a sense of progress.
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Local Procurement in Latvia Strengthens Northern Distribution Network
The United States European Command (USEUCOM) plays an important role supplying the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
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A Few Days in Afghanistan
Last week, I had a good visit to Afghanistan -- three days, including a swing through Helmand in the south.
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Under Siege - For Real
Imagine what the movie might look like though…working with a Special Forces Operational Detachment –Alpha (a bunch of Green Berets) and local Afghans running counterinsurgency missions in the heart of Taliban country. Sgt. Rodriguez-Torres, playing himself of course, is the head cook, in charge of preparing three daily feasts for at least 50 hungry warriors at a time (using anything available; turning it into a gourmet meal). On a fairly regular basis, however, he must also deal with Taliban fighters outside the perimeter, attempting to overrun the base and claim it as their own. The enemy is well equipped, with AK-47s, PKM machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and 107mm rockets.
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Three Outcomes from Lisbon
We finished the Lisbon summit last week – really a high point thus far in the nearly 18 months I’ve been the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). While not without some challenges, overall the summit must be judged a real success.
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The Silk Road, Then and Now
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.
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Off to Lisbon!
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.
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The Road Ahead
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.
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No Trainers, No Transition
In the past ten months there has been measured progress in the Afghan National Security Force (ANSF); in quality as well as quantity. Since last November, NATO Training Mission Afghanistan has supported the Afghan Ministries of Interior and Defense to recruit, train and assign over 100,000 soldiers and police, an incredible feat. To achieve this, the training capacity was increased, moving from under 10,000 seats for police training alone to almost 15,000.
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Observations from a friend in Afghanistan
In a recent email to family and friends, he did a nice job of laying out the task ahead and the stakes, with a focus on information. I thought others might be interested in his thoughts and observations, and so I'm including him as a guest blogger today:
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Afghanistan's "East Point" Military Academy
On this last trip we took a tour of the National Military Academy of Afghanistan. Years ago a friend of mine, a graduate of West Point, proudly told me about “East Point”, the military academy in Afghanistan modeled after West Point. Last week when I spoke to a professor at the military academy, as we ended the conversation, he emphasized “one important point that you should know, we are modeled after West Point.” The pride with which they both described this relationship gave me a sense of the bonds being built by the Afghan soldiers and their ISAF partners.
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NATO's Challenges and Achievements in Afghanistan
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.
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Why NATO Matters to the USA
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.”
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Clergy converged in Carpathians
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.
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Albania looks to EUCOM for chaplaincy advice
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.
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What’s Working In Afghanistan
Just back from two days in Kabul, and when I think back on the situation a year ago, the progress is very encouraging.
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Headed home after four days in Australia and New Zealand
Headed home over the South Pacific after four days in Australia and New Zealand, strong allies and partners in Afghanistan as part of our 45-nation International Security Force – it was an excellent visit.
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The Loss of a Great Friend
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.
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Everyone's a blogger?
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?
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Social Media in Afghanistan and European Command
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! [wpvideo 4iz3GiGe]
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Off to Washington!
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.
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A Rude Awakening in Kabul, Afghanistan
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.
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Social Medializing from Afghanistan--What Do You Want to Talk About?
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.
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Operation Moshtarak
And so began the Afghan-NATO offensive into Helmad province, known as Operation Moshtarak – which translates roughly as “Together.” We are focusing on the area around a town called Marjah, where there has historically been a great deal of insurgent activity and heroin production.
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Should the U.S. Military Communicate in the Social Media Realm?
As important as social media has become in the world, it is playing an ever-increasing role in the U.S. military. I’d like to highlight a great example from the International Security Assistance Force.
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A Global Force for Good
Just left historic Munich, Germany where I was fortunate to attend and speak at their annual Security Conference.
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Afghanistan: The London Conference
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.
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Afghanistan Visit and Way Forward
I came away encouraged and optimistic about our approach.
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Reaching Out to My Team at U.S. European Command
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.
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Away From Home this Holiday Season
Happy Holidays to everyone. It’s been a busy couple weeks for us at European Command Public Affairs.
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Christmas Presence – Another Holiday Separated and Away
American and NATO SOF units work to increase the capacity of Afghan National Security Forces
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The Afghanistan Uplift
I've received a lot of good feedback on Afghanistan.
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The Course for Afghanistan
Yesterday President Obama laid out the strategy for Afghanistan
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Your Questions on Afghanistan and Russia
First, let us clearly understand that EVERY nation in NATO is "in the fight" in Afghanistan. This is a committed alliance.
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Defense Ministerial
I’ve just returned from Bratislava, Slovakia where the NATO Fall '09 Defense Ministerial was held, followed by an official visit to Slovakian senior defense leaders.
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Three Days in Afghanistan
In three busy days in Afghanistan, I focused on Helmand province and the British and U.S. Marine Corps forces. Over the course of lunch with the provincial Governor - a man in his early 60s and a survivor of many challenging events in Afghanistan - I talked with him about the needs of the district.
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Focusing on the Fundamentals
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.
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Partnership Engagement
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.
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European Partnership Task Force
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.
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Thinking About Afghanistan
In both my U.S. European Command and my NATO “hats,” I spend a great deal of time focusing on the challenges in Afghanistan.
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U.S. Marine Forces, Europe to begin Georgia Deployment Program-International Security Assistance For
The Georgian Minister of Defense will contribute an infantry battalion to serve under the United States supporting the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
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European Coalition Task Force
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.
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What a week!
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!
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