Change of Command:General Miller Relinquishes Afghanistan Command

On 12 July 2021,GEN Austin "Scott" Miller,US Army, turned over the colours of United States Forces-Afghanistan to GEN Kenneth McKenzie,US Marine Corps,Commander US Central Command,in a ceremony in the Afghan capital,Kabul.The event signified the effective end of US military involvement in the Afghan War,which began in 2001 following the 9-11 attacks.GEN Miller,60,was the longest-serving general officer in the Afghan War,having assumed his post as US and NATO Resolute Support commander in Afghanistan in 2018.He had previously served in Iraq and the Battle of Mogadishu.He is expected to retire shortly. On 14 July,GEN Miller was welcomed home at Joint Base Andrews,Maryland by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin abd Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff GEN Mark Milley,US Army.He then met with US President Joseph R. Biden,who thanked him for his years of exemplary service. least 95% of US Forces have already left Afghanistan.Some 650 US Marines will remain in Kabul to provide US Embassy security.* Before departing Kabul,GEN Miller had told ABC News that: The loss of territory (to the Taliban militants) and the rapidity of the loss has to be concerning.* All US combat troops are to be out of Afghanistan by 31 August 2021.An over-the-horizon (out of country) counterterror capability is being developed for use as needed in the Southwest Asian nation.This could include CIA Predator drone strikes and possibly involve the CIA's Ground Branch paramiltary operatives,who were the first US Forces to arrive in Afghanistan in 2001.* Many districts in the country's rugged Northeast have reportedly fallen to the Taliban recently,with Afghan National Defence and Security Forces surrendering or fleeing to neighbouring Central Asian contries.Other districts have been retaken by the ANDSF.It is believed that the ANDSF are strong enough to protect Kabul itself at this time,given their airpower and 30,000 Special Operations Forces.

Two Green Berets Killed in Afghanistan Battle Identified

Two members of the US Army Special Forces (Green Berets) died in a firefight in Sherzad District of Nangarhar Province in Eastern Afghanistan on 8 February 2020,the US Army said.The battle began when a person in an Afghan uniform opened fire on US and Afghan forces with a machine gun.Six other US troops were injured;while the Afghan Defence Ministry said one Afghan National Army Soldier was also killed and three others wounded in the battle.It isn't known whether the assailant,who was killed,was a member of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces or an infiltrator;the investigation continues.*
Those killed in action were SFC Javier J. Gutierrez,28,of San Antonio,Texas and SFC Antonio Rodriguez,28,of Las Cruces,New Mexico.The loss of the Green Berets brings the total combat deaths of US service members in Afghanistan in 2020 up to four.No one has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.It started as a key-leader engagement was dispersing.*
Both US troops were members of 3rd Battalion,7th Special Forces Group (Airborne),out of Eglin Air Force Base,Florida.They were posthumously promoted from Staff Sergeant and awarded the Purple Heart Medal.
SFC Gutierrez had previously served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster and the Army Achievement Medal.SFC Rodriguez had earned his Ranger tab and served with 3rd Battalion,75th Ranger Regiment before re-classifying as a Cryptologic Linguist (Spanish) with the Special Forces.He had completed a total of ten deployments to Afghanistan,eight of them with the Ranger Regiment and two as a Green Beret.His awards included the Bronze Star Medal;Army Commendation Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster and the Army Achievement Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster.*
Let them be confounded and confused that are adversaries to my soul;let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.
But I will hope continually,and will yet praise thee more and more.
-Psalm 71:13-14

Green Beret Killed in Afghan War Identified

The Green Beret killed on 23 December in Afghanistan has been identified by the US Army as SFC Michael James Gobel,33,of Westwood Township, New Jersey.He was killed in Kunduz Province, Northern Afghanistan while supporting combat operations in the province, several districts of which are controlled by the Taliban.*
The Taliban claimed they blew SFC Gobel's
 vehicle up with an IED in Chardara District as the US and Afghan National Defence and Security Forces conducted a joint combat operation in the stategically significant province,a gateway to Northern Afghanistan.*
SFC Gobel was a member of 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) out of Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.In his third deployment to Afghanistan, he had completed several courses, including the Special Forces Sniper Course; Military Freefall Advanced Tactical Insertion Course; Special Forces Intelligence Sergeant Course; Special Operations Force Surveillance Operator; and Advanced Special Operations Techniques-Level III Course.
Among his decorations were the Bronze Star Medal (4) and the Army Commendation Medal with combat "V" device.*
SFC Gobel is survived by his partner and  a young daughter.*
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."
- Ephesians 6:10-11

Pentagon Identifies US Soldiers Killed in Action

The Pentagon has released the names of two US Army troops NATO said were killed by small arms fire in Afghanistan.They are SFC Will D. Lindsay,33,of Cortez, Colorado and SPC Joseph P. Collette,29, of  Lancaster, Ohio.
Pentagon sources said they were on a joint Operation with Afghan National Defence and Security Force​s in Kunduz Province, Northern Afghanistan,a site of periodic assaults by Taliban militants.*
An Afghan source reported that Coalition aircraft provided close air support during the battle.*
SFC Lindsay was a member of the 2nd Battalion,10th Special Forces Group (Airborne). SPC Collette was a member of the 71st Explosive Ordnance Group,242nd Ordnance Battalion, and was assigned to a Special Forces unit.
SFC Lindsay had pulled five tours in Iraq, plus tours in Tajikistan and Afghanistan, where he was supporting the counter-terror Operation Freedom's Sentinel.His decorations include the Purple Heart Medal; Bronze Star Medal;and Valorous Unit Award.He was married and the father of four daughters.*
ANDSF members were reportedly also killed during the operation.*
For I am persuaded, that neither death,nor life,nor  angels,nor principalities,nor powers,nor things present,nor things to come,
Nor height,nor depth,nor any creature,shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
-Romans 8:38-39

NATO Bulletin and Update:Three More US Troops Die in Ghazni,Afghanistan Blast;Initial Review of Nimruz Province Incident Indicates Friendly Fire

NATO's Resolute Support Mission has issued two news releases today on US fatalities in the Afghan War,one of them updating yesterday's release on the death of SGT Leandro A.S. Jasso;the other reports a separate,later incident which occurred on 27 November 2018.
The new incident:
Word has been received that three more US service members were killed in action on 27 November 2018,this time near the city of Ghazni,which is south of the Afghan capital,Kabul.They died in an IED explosion that was claimed by the Taliban Islamist extremists.Three more troops were wounded,as was a civilian contractor.The wounded personnel were medevaced out for advanced treatment.Further details are pending family notification.*
The update:
An initial review of the 24 November 2018 incident that took the life of SGT Jasso of Leavenworth,Washington State shows that he likely died of friendly fire,NATO explained.SGT Jasso was accompanying members of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces on an assault of multiple barricaded al-Qaida shooters.In the close quarters combat that ensued,it is believed that an ANDSF member mistakenly shot SGT Jasso.There is no evidence of a green on blue attack (insider attack) in this case.
In the words of Resolute Support and US Forces-Afghanistan commander GEN Austin Scott Miller:
SGT Jasso was killed defending our nation,fighting al-Qaida alongside our Afghan partners.All of us,and throughout our Coalition of 41 nations,recognise the threats posed by groups such as al-Qaida and ISIS and are determined to fight them here.*
The two lethal incidents bring the total US troop losses in the Afghan War this year to 13.

Afghan War Update:NATO Soldier Killed in Herat Identified

The NATO Soldier killed in a green on blue attack on 22 October 2018 in Herat Province,Afghanistan has been identified.He was CPL Tomas Prochazka of the Czech forces.Two other Czech troops were wounded and evacuated to a hospital in Belgium,according to Radio Prague.
The attacker is believed to have fired at random on Coalition forces from a distance of 80-100 meters with an M-14 assault rifle.He was not a member of an ANDSF unit the Czechs were training.The Czech Soldiers were returning to Shindand Air Base from a routine assignment of gathering building materials for use on base when the disguised militant opened fire on their vehicle.He was immediately subdued by ANDSF.The Taliban Islamist extremists claimed responsibility for the assault.*
It is the Czechs' fourth loss of a service member in Afghanistan in the past three months,and there were seven other Czech troops wounded in that time frame.Czech Defence Minister Lubomir Metnar said the uptick in violence may be related to the ongoing Afghan elections.Mr.Metnar insisted:
We are not leaving Afghanistan,as our mission is not finished.We will go on...Every incident in Afghanistan is deeply analysed and countermeasures are taken.*
CPL Prochazka,42,of Hradek nad Nison,Northern Bohemia,was in the midst of a six-month deployment that started in August 2018.He was a Cynologist,or K-9 specialist.*
Shindand is a former Soviet air base that was refurbished by US forces.

Afghan War:NATO Service Member Killed in Herat

A non-US NATO service member has been killed in Herat Province,Western Afghanistan on 22 October 2018.The person was serving in the Resolute Support Mission's Train,Advise and Assist Command-West (TAAC-West).Two other troops were wounded.No nationalities or identities were available.TAAC-West is led by Italian personnel.Also serving in TAAC-West are troops from Albania,Lithuania,Slovenia,Ukraine and the US.TAAC-West is helping the Afghan National Army's 207th Corps and the 606th Afghan National Police Zone.*
The incident was reportedly a green on blue attack,or someone disguised as an Afghan National Defence and Security Forces member attacking a Coalition service member.A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack,saying one of their "infiltrators" was the assailant.The flare-up was the second green on blue attack in less than a week.On 18 October,the Taliban militants claimed responsibility for an attack following a security review session in Kandahar Province,Southern Afghanistan,in which two Afghan leaders were killed and two Americans were wounded.The Afghans lost were the highly admired Kandahar Province police chief GEN Abdul Raziq,and a senior Afghan intelligence officer.Those wounded in the firefight included a US general officer,BGEN Jeffrey D. Smiley,US Army,commander of TAAC-South,and a US contractor.The Taliban Islamist extremists said they had hoped to kill the new commander of US Forces Afghanistan and NATO's Resolute Support Mission,GEN Austin Scott Miller,US Army,who took command on 2 September 2018,but he escaped unscathed.
GEN Miller has a Special Operations Forces background,having recently served as commander,Joint Special Operations Command.He is a veteran of the Battle of Mogadishu,Somalia;the Iraq War;and the Afghan War.Among his decorations are the Bronze Star Medal,the Purple Heart Medal and the Legion of Merit.

Afghan War:Taliban Mount Fierce Offensives,Seizing Most of Ghazni Province - Green Beret killed in action further south

Despite having met with US officials in Doha,Qatar recently in an effort to begin a dialogue,the Taliban Islamist extremists showed no desire for peace in recent days as up to 1,000 of them,having seized most of Ghazni Province,overran the provincial captal,Ghazni city on 10 August 2018.The massive assault on the city of about 280,000 took place in the pre-dawn hours and came from every direction.
Afghan National Defence and Security Forces fell back to protect critical defence-related buildings such as the police station,military bases and a prison;while the militants continued to control the neighbourhoods,local residents said.Many residents fled as power,food,water and medicine were cut off in the heat of combat.
The US conducted at least 16 air strikes in support of the ANDSF,killing some 200 Taliban,and a limited number of US troops stayed at the front lines to advise and assist their Afghan colleagues on the ground.About 100 ANDSF and 25 civilians were killed in the brazen seige,and hundreds more were wounded.
The Taliban had "achieved nothing,"NATO said.*
The Taliban were reportedly assisted by a number of foreign fighters from Pakistan and Chechnya,as well as al-Qaida elements.*
Also on 10 August,the Taliban swept over an Afghan SOF base in Ajristar district,killing at least 70 Afghan commandos and police.*
On 12 August,a US Soldier,SSGT Reymund R. Transfiguracion,36,of Waikaloa,Hawaii,was killed in action while on a combat patrol operation to the south,in Helmand Province,when an IED exploded near him.The incident is being investigated.SSGT Transfiguracion,a native of the Philippines,was a member of 3rd Battalion,1st Special Forces Group (Airborne),out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord,Washington State.Initially a member of the Hawaii National Guard,he had previously pulled tours in Iraq and the Phillipines.
Among his decorations were the Purple Heart Medal (second award);Army Achievement Medal (third award);Army Good Conduct Medal (third award);Combat Action Badge;and Air Assault Badge.*

Afghan War:Green on Blue Attack Kills US Soldier

A so-called "green on blue" attack,which is an attack by an enemy posing as an ally,killed US Army CPL Joseph Maciel,20,of South Gate,California on 7 July 2018 in Tarin Kowt district of Uruzgan Province.Uruzgan borders Kandahar Province to the south.The incident is under investigation.Two other US Soldiers were wounded and are in stable condition.*
CPL Maciel was a member of 1st Battalion,28th Infantry Regiment,3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Benning,Georgia.He was serving with the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade,one of the new units set up to help implement the President's South Asia Strategy in Afghanistan.CPL Maciel received the Purple Heart Medal,Bronze Star Medal and Army Achievement Medal,along with the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.*
The unit was returning the US Army to the practice of having US infantry troops training and advising the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces,rather than just Special Operations Forces doing that task.The SFAB had received special training at Fort Benning in establishing rapport with the ANDSF and in foreign languages.
CPL Maciel was engaged in providing force protection for the unit's trainers and advisors.The SFAB numbers about 800 trainers and advisors and 300 support troops across Afghanistan.*
A Taliban spokesman said the attacker acted alone;but the Taliban "appreciated" his deed.It was the third US combat death this year in Afghanistan,and the first US green on blue fatality since June 2017.1st Battalion commander LTCOL David Connor said that CPL Maciel was:
an excellent Soldier beloved by his teammates and dedicated to our mission.He will be greatly missed by the entire Black Lion family.

Afghan War:US Marines Attack High Level Taliban Targets

According to US Forces-Afghanistan,on 24 May 2018,US Marines in Task Force-Southwest conducted a strike on Taliban militants using the M142 High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).The strike was aimed at a command and control node for high-level Taliban leaders in Musa Qala district,Helmand Province.The structure targeted was a known gathering point for the Islamist extremist leaders,where they planned and facilitated attacks on the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces,who are working to secure the area's elections.
TF-SW commander BGEN Benjamin T. Watson,USMC,explained:
One way we support our Afghan partners is with kinetic strikes so they are able to maintain the offensive.Strikes like this not only degrade Taliban operations,but also give our partners the ability to maintain pressure against a weakened enemy.*
TF-SW has been deployed in Helmand since April 2017 to train,advise and assist the Afghan National Army 215th Corps and the Afghan National Police 505th Zone.*
US Forces-Afghanistan was set up in 2005 and is a US-led mission to direct and enable US military operations in support of NATO's Resolute Support Mission,sustaining campaign momentum in the besieged nation.Currently there are about 14,000 US troops in Afghanistan.Besides training the ANDSF,they engage the enemy in combat operations such as air and artillery strikes,as well as counter-terrorist raids alongside ANDSF Special Operations Forces.

Soldier Killed in Action Identified - Green Beret was immigrant from the Baltic States

The office of Senator Cory Booker,D-New Jersey,has identified the US Soldier who was killed in Achin district of Nangarhar Province,Afghanistan on 1 January 2018.US Army First Sergeant Mihail Golin,34,of Fort Lee,New Jersey,was killed by enemy fire while on dismounted patrol in the mountainous region near the Pakistani border that has been the haven of ISIL-K Islamist extremists.SGT Golin was a member of the 2nd Battalion,10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) out of Fort Carson,Colorado.*
SGT Golin had immigrated to the US from NATO Ally Latvia when he was 21.His father,David Golin,said he was proud of his son,who wanted to serve his new country.Other survivors include SGT Golin's ex-wife and a daughter,6.*
It's been pointed out by several media outlets that NATO's Resolute Support Mission commander,US Army General John Nicholson,has warned that the President's new,more assertive South Asia policy would expose US troops to more danger in Afghanistan.They are embedding with Afghan National Defence and Security Forces closer to the front lines,in addition to continuing the counterterror raids that were already being staged with Afghan commandos.

US Special Operations & Afghan Commandos in Combat Operations Against Ta...

NATO:First Afghan War Death in 2018 - American killed in action

An American service member was killed during combat operations in Achin district of Nangarhar Province,Afghanistan,NATO'S Resolute Support Mission announced on 2 January 2018.Four other service members were wounded in the battle.No names or other details of the incident were disclosed.*
The Pentagon later said that two of the wounded had returned to duty and the other two remained in hospital.US and Afghan National Defence and Security Forces have conducted several raids against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan militants in Nangarhar Province in recent years.General John Nicholson,commander of all NATO and US Forces in Afghanistan,had a stated goal of eliminating ISIL-K in 2017.*
In 2017,the US lost a total of 15 troops in Afghanistan,11 of them killed in action.*
The Resolute Support coalition includes 39 NATO Allies and Partners.The US participates under the name Operation Freedom's Sentinel,providing train,advise and assist,as well as counterterrorism operations and air support.

Afghanistan:'It's A New War,'Air Force General Says - fifth generation fighters used

On 12 December 2017,US Air Force Brigadier General Lance Bunch,Director of Future Operations CJ-35,Resolute Support Headquarters,Kabul,Afghanistan,addressed the media at the Pentagon via teleconference.He is in charge of synchronisation,contingency planning and air campaign integration for Resolute Support Mission and Operation Freedom's Sentinel.BRIG GEN Bunch said that:
As General Nicholson has said,we will be here until the job is done.Our future shop developed an air interdiction campaign,a counter-revenue campaign using air power.We have been able to target the Taliban in their safe zones,their command and control nodes,illicit revenue-generating ventures and their logistical network.This new air interdiction campaign directly strengthens the Afghan defence forces and their continued battlefield success.In the past three weeks,since the campaign began,we have been able to eliminate 25 narcotics processing labs from the Taliban inventory.This amounts to nearly 80 million dollars in drug money from the kingpins' pockets,while denying over 16 million in direct revenue to their Taliban partners.*
The US Marines have also been able to use their HiMARS rockets against such facilities.The Afghan National Interdiction Unit also conducted two simultaneous raids of Taliban narcotics bazaars as part of this campaign.This resulted in over 2,000 kg of heroin and 5,000 kg of opium getting confiscated.The Taliban narcotics leadership has been caught off guard,so we were able to target Mullah Shah Wali,the Taliban special forces branch,or Red Unit,commander of this Taliban squad in Helmand Province,delivering yet another blow to this criminal network.This was a joint effort by the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces,the US Army,Air Force,Navy and Marines,all collectively exercising authorities granted under the South Asia Policy-and it's not over;in fact,it's only just begun,and this will be a very long winter for the Taliban,as we will continue to disrupt their resources again,and again,and again-but a key part of these operations are a strong Afghan defence forces.Whereas before we could only embed at the Corps level,our new SAP will allow us to embed all the way down to the Kandak,or Battalion level.This allows us to train,advise and assist Afghan units and leaders directly controlling the fight,and accelerate their transition to increased ability and capacity.The US force uplift announced in the new SAP has already happened.This policy,coupled with our air campaign,will allow Afghan defence forces to keep pressure on the Taliban through the winter.*
In early 2018,the new Security Force Assistance Brigade will deploy into theatre and further enhance our assistance to the Afghan security forces going into the next fighting season.The Taliban have been unable to take a provincial capital or even a single city.This year,the Taliban have fared poorly.We,along with our Afghan partners,are on the path to victory.Now,with our new authorities,we're able to target networks,not just individual fighters.Our SFAB will deploy in the March of 2018 time frame.*
We're currently unfolding the air interdiction campaign.We continue to leverage our Intelligence,Surveillance and Reconnaissance across the theatre to find the enemy wherever they may be so that we can develop targets.There's been much said that as the war in Iraq and Syria starts to wind down,the main effort will shift to Afghanistan;and as those assets become available and come to us,we'll of course be able to leverage them to full effect.*
We're looking to triple the size of the Afghan Air Force by 2023.They did 500 more sorties in 2017 than 2016.This is a new war,and the gloves are off,if you will.We are able to go after the Taliban support structure,whereas before we could only strike in support of the Afghan forces that were in contact with the enemy.So now we're able to go after their weapons cache sites;their revenue generators;their C2 nodes-all the ones where they thought they were safe and they are no longer,so it has definitely been a game changer and the Taliban is definitely feeling it.I think what General Nicholson said is that the war is in a stalemate,but the momentum is definitely shifting to the ANDSF.*
The assets we've been using include the B-52 with its new conventional rotary launcher;the F-22;F-16;A-29;HiMARS;F/A-18;over the horizon air refueling assets;JSTARS and ISR assets.We used the fifth generation F-22 fighter jet to limit collateral damage in the Northern Helmand interdiction campaign.The most precise weapon at our disposal is the small diameter bomb carried by the F-22s.*
We're looking for opportunities to disrupt their ability to fund their operations,to recruit fighters or buy weapons.The Taliban gets 300-500 million a year as their total budget.Sixty percent comes from their narco-processing trade;the vast majority of that comes from Northern Helmand,which is their economic engine.The forces we have right now are enough to keep the ANDSF on the offensive through the winter.*
BRIG GEN Bunch said that,besides the Taliban,ISIL-Khorasan had up to 1,000 fighters in Afghanistan;but he didn't have the number of recent US air strikes on al-Qaida fighters on hand.US Forces Afghanistan does not currently have the authority to conduct airstrikes on Pakistan.Asked whether the uplift in US forces has resulted in the drawdown of the CIA's Ground Branch paramilitary operatives,who have been active in Afghanistan since right after 9-11,BRIG GEN Bunch said that was beyond his pay grade.

NATO and Afghanistan:Mattis and Stoltenberg Discuss the New Strategy - a compelling advantage

On 27 September,NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis held talks with Afghan leaders in Kabul,including President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Dr.Abdullah Abdullah of the National Unity Government.*
At a press conference after the discussions,Mr.Mattis and Mr.Stoltenberg gave a frank briefing on the new approach.
Mr.Stoltenberg:NATO doesn't quit when the going gets tough.That is why I much welcome that many nations have pledged further contributions to our mission here in Afghanistan,including more troops from the US.And I welcome President Trump's new,conditions-based approach to Afghanistan and the region.NATO is committed to funding the Afghan security forces until at least 2020,and we will continue to provide almost a billion each year to the Afghan defence and security forces.
At our defence ministerial in June,we actually decided to increase our NATO troop levels in Afghanistan,and several Allies have already started to step up to their pledges to send more troops.So they are sending more troops because it is in their interest to have a more stable Afghanistan.*
Mr.Mattis:We will not abandon Afghanistan to a merciless enemy trying to kill its way to power.
This new strategy is conditions-based,and not time-based,because war is principally a matter of will,and we've made clear that we have the will to stand together.
Through our partnership,we will suffocate any hope that al-Qaida,or ISIS-Daesh,Haqqani or the Taliban have of winning by killing.
We are up against an enemy right now that intentionally fights among innocent people;that intentionally hides behind women and children;that intentionally tries to draw fire on the innocent,and we do everything humanly possible...to protect the innocent on the battlefield.We're not the perfect guys;but we are the good guys.
We are bringing in reinforcements,and those reinforcements are designed to add more advisors to your units in the field,and more trainers in your military schools.We are going to give them more advantage to the NATO access,and advantage to the NATO air forces overhead,to make sure that at no time does the Taliban own the high ground.We will always own the high ground.
I prefer to not go into the specific numbers right now.We are bringing more Americans in;there are more coalition forces coming in.I don't want to tell the enemy exactly what we're doing,but the whole point is to make certain that we have a compelling battlefield advantage over anything the Taliban tries to mass against your forces.We are not going to stand for that.
There's an increasing collusion.There's increasing teamwork among the various terrorist bands,and I will just tell you that this simply gives more impetus to those of us who are against terrorism to work together,Secretary Mattis told the reporters gathered in Kabul.*
Among others attending the talks were General John Nicholson,US Army,NATO Resolute Support Mission and Operation Freedom's Sentinel commander;Ambassador Kay Bailey Hutchison,US Ambassador to NATO;and Afghan national security officials.

Afghan War:Second Green on Blue Attack Rattles NATO - Camp Shaheen incident

In the second green-on-blue attack on less than a week,an Afghan soldier reportedly opened fire on his coalition allies on 17 June 2017 at Camp Shaheen in Mazar i Sharif,Balkh Province,Northern Afghanistan,a US military spokesman said.One Afghan soldier was killed and another wounded along with seven American troops,in the as yet unclear incident.The Taliban Islamist extremists claimed responsiblity for the new attack.The remaining US troops were evacuated from the base following the flare-up,which the NATO Resolute Support Mission said is being looked into.
On 11 June,three US Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division were killed in a similar attack in Nangarhar Province that was also claimed by the Taliban.*
Camp Shaheen has a German detachment that is leading the NATO advise and assist mission there,but there was no indication of German casualties at the base,which is headquarters for the Afghan Army's 209th Corps.In April 2017,the Taliban militants mounted a major assault there,killing or wounding more than a hundred Afghan soldiers.*
President Donald Trump has recently delegated the authority to set US troop levels in Afghanistan to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis,who has come under congressional criticism for the delay in issuing an outline for the war effort.The Secretary said,however,that there will be no immediate change in troop levels.By next month,Mr.Mattis is to present the Trump administration with options for its Afghan War strategy.

Bulletin:Three US Troops Killed in Afghanistan - green on blue attack

US officials say three American service members were killed and a fourth wounded in Achin district of Nangarhar Province,Afghanistan on Saturday,10 June 2017.The incident is being labeled a green-on-blue attack,a NATO code word for an enemy infiltrator who opens fire on coalition forces while wearing an Afghan National Defence and Security Forces uniform.The treacherous attack occurred while US and ANDSF personnel were conducting a counterterrorist operation in the district,an ISIL-K stronghold that US and Afghan Special Operations Forces have been focused on for several months now.An Afghan official said ANDSF members shot the gunman dead.*
The Taliban militants claimed responsibility for the incident,calling the perpetrator a "mujahadid,"or freedom fighter.On Saturday,US Vice President Mike Pence mentioned the deaths and offered the American people's thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of the victims.*
ISIL-K and the Taliban had been fighting each other,so it is possible they have begun to cooperate against the US and Afghan forces now.*
ISIL-K is short for ISIL-Khorasan.The Islamist extremists refer to Nangarhar as being their Khorasan Province.In April,two more US troops were killed in action in Achin district of Nangarhar during combat with ISIL-K.*
The US and its NATO Allies are considering upping the number of forces in Afghanistan in light of the persistent militant activity.

Pentagon Identifies Two Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan Raid - Ranger Regiment members

The Department of Defense has released the identities of the two Special Operations Forces Soldiers killed while conducting a dismounted operation with Afghan National Defence and Security Forces on 26 April 2017.The raid was in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel in Nangarhar Province,Eastern Afghanistan,where they fell to small arms fire from ISIL-K militants.Another Soldier sustained minor injuries in the battle near Achin district.
The engagement began on Wednesday at about 2230 hours local time and lasted over three hours,according to Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis,USN.About 50 US Army Rangers and 40 Afghan commandos participated.Supported by close air support from fighter aircraft,attack helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles,in the event,they killed several ISIL-K leaders and militants,about 35 in total.An investigation into the battle is ongoing,to include a possibility that the Rangers were killed by friendly fire,the Pentagon said.
Both men were assigned to 3rd Battalion,75th Ranger Regiment out of Fort Benning,Georgia.Killed in action were:
Sgt.Joshua P. Rodgers,22,of Bloomington,Illinois and
Sgt.Cameron H. Thomas,23,of Kettering,Ohio.
Both Soldiers enlisted in the Army after High School graduation and were selected for Ranger training.They were on their third tours in Afghanistan.
SGT Rodgers had been decorated with the Army Achievement Medal,Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star,and the NATO Medal.
SGT Thomas had been decorated with the Joint Service Achievement Medal,Joint Meritorious Unit Award,and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star,as well as the NATO Medal.*
The 75th Ranger Regiment describes itself as a unique Special Operations Force,the Army's Premier Raid Force.Its specially selected and well-trained Soldiers are constantly tested for the privilege of serving in the Regiment.The 75th provides a range of capabilities not found in any other SOF or conventional force,conducting large-scale joint forcible entry operations while simultaneously executing surgical special operations raids across the globe.General Creighton Abrams created the Ranger Battalions in 1974 as an elite force setting the standards for the Army.

US Soldier Killed in Afghanistan Firefight Identified

The Pentagon announced that Staff Sergeant Mark R DeAlencar,37,of Edgewood,Maryland,died on 8 April 2017 in Nangarhar Province,Afghanistan,when his unit took small arms fire from ISIL militants during combat operations with Afghan National Defence and Security Forces.SSGT DeAlencar was assigned to 1st Battalion,7th Special Forces Group (Airborne),based at Eglin Air Force Base,Florida.
The Green Beret was a graduate of Joppatowne High School in Harford County,Maryland.He was the husband of Natasha DeAlencar and the father of five.His body was flown to Dover AFB,Delaware,where it was received in a dignified manner.He is to be interred in Arlington National Cemetery.
SSGT DeAlencar was serving in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel,the US role in NATO's Resolute Support Mission,which consists of train,advise and assist activities,as well as counterterrorism operations.

The Afghan War:Mattis Scouts the Way Ahead for NATO

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis,as he prefers being called,spoke with reporters yesterday in Abu Dhabi,UAE:
We anticipated that we might not be able to get into Afghanistan due to weather.We got the weather report yesterday.I was fortunate yesterday,before we left Munich,to speak with Afghan President Ghani at length.We were both there,and we took advantage of that opportunity,knowing I might not be able to see him today as we initially planned.I had a very in-depth discussion about the way ahead in Afghanistan.
And then I spoke by picture-video teleconference-with our NATO commander in the field,General Nicholson,and that went on for several hours,and this is all part of my getting my feet on the deck in terms of getting current on the situation that the coalition forces in Afghanistan face,both politically and strategically,and identifying the way ahead.*
On the situation in Afghanistan right now,again,my point in talking to President Ghani and talking to our field commander,the NATO field commander,is to gain their political and military appreciation of the situation.We're putting our thoughts together now.*
President Trump has been rightly reticent on it,because he's waiting for my assessment and the assessment from the intelligence community.And he's open to my advice on it;but first of all,I've got to formulate where I stand,and so this is the normal collection of the information,and to assess what other countries in the region are doing to help or hinder our efforts there.So we're still sorting that out and here shortly I'll have my thoughts collected.It shouldn't take too long;but I've got a fair number of issues in order to give a good recommendation for the way ahead.*
So I think it was a lot more damaging to the Taliban,and the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces paid a very heavy price to keep the Taliban on their back foot,but they paid it;they've held;and the Taliban is in a worse position today,even though I do not equate that to success on our side.*
I would not in any way contest it has been a hard fight all the way through.I think that's a very accurate point.I would question who came out on the shorter end of the stick.Right now I'd rather be on NATO's-be in NATO's position right now than I would want to be in the Taliban's,the retired US Marine Corps general and new Defense Secretary Jim "Mad Dog" Mattis told the journalists in Abu Dhabi yesterday.