Two US Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan Combat

On 25 June 2019,two US Army troops were killed in action during a combat operation in Uruzgan Province,Afghanistan,the Pentagon announced.They were serving in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel,the US counter-terrorism effort in Afghanistan.The Soldiers were killed by small arms fire in a firefight with Taliban militants.
Those killed were MSGT Michael B. Riley,32,of Heilbronn,Germany,and SGT James G. Johnston,24,of Trumansburg,New York.MSGT Riley was on his sixth deployment to Afghanistan.A communications seargent,he was a member of 2nd Battalion,10th Special Forces Group (Airborne).On his first deployment,SGT Johnston was a member of 79th Ordnance Battalion (Explosive Ordnance Disposal),71st Ordnance Group.
The battle is being investigated.*
These deaths bring the US combat death toll in the Afghan War so far this year up to nine.Last year's toll was 13.*
MSGT Riley had been decorated with the Bronze Star Medal;Army Commendation Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters;Joint Meritorious Unit Award with Oak Leaf Cluster;and the Army Good Conduct Medal (3).He was also awarded the Military Freefall Parachutist Badge and Marine Qualification Badge Expert-Rifle.
SGT Johnston had been decorated with the Bronze Star Medal;Purple Heart Medal;Combat Action Badge;and Senior Explosive Ordnance Disposal Badge.*
"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion,to give unto them beauty for ashes,the oil of joy for mourning,the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;that they may be called trees of righteousness,planting of the Lord,that he might be glorified."
-Isaiah 61:1-3

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

Afghan War:Army Ranger Dies From Combat Wounds - plus another NATO casualty bulletin just crossed the wires

On 17 January 2019 in Landstuhl,Germany,US Army Ranger SGT Cameron A. Meddock,26,of Spearman,Texas,died from wounds caused by small arms fire he took during combat operations on 13 January in Jawand District of Badghis Province,Northwest Afghanistan.He was likely serving in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel,the US counterterror effort in Afghanistan.The province had until recently been considered quiet,but the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan group began filtering into the remoter areas there.*
SGT Meddock,the first combat death in Afghanistan for 2019,was on his second Afghanistan tour.He was a fire team leader with Company A,2nd Battalion,75th Ranger Regiment,out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord,Washington State.The Ranger's death coincides with a report by the Afghan Khaama Press news agency that a combat operation in Badghis Province has killed at least 10 ISIL-K Islamist extremists.*
SGT Meddock's decorations include the Purple Heart Medal;Joint Service Commendation for Combat;Army Achievement Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters;and the Afghan Campaign Medal with campaign star.
He was the husband of Stephanie Meddock,who is expecting their first child.*
Meanwhile,another NATO Resolute Support Press Release has just reached the desk.It says a US service member was killed in Afghanistan on 22 January 2019 as a result of enemy small arms fire.The incident is being investigated.In accordance with US Department of Defense policy,the name of the service member is being withheld until 24 hours after notification of next of kin is complete.More information will be shared as approporiate.*
My flesh and my heart may fail,but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
- Psalm 73:26

Afghan War:Army Ranger Killed in Battle with al-Qaida

A US Soldier killed in action over the weekend has been identified.On 24 November 2018,a US Army Ranger,SGT Leandro A.S. Jasso,25,of Leavenworth,Washington State,was killed as a result of a firefight with al-Qaida militants,the Pentagon said.Struck by small arms fire,he was medevaced to the neighbouring Helmand Province for advanced treatment,where he died.The battle occurred in Khash Rod District of Nimruz Province in Southwestern Afghanistan.Nimruz has desert borders with both Pakistan and Iran.The incident is under investigation.*
SGT Jasso was a team leader with Alpha Company,2nd Battalion,75th Ranger Regiment out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord,Washington.He was on his third tour in Afghanistan,serving in support of the US counterterror mission there,Operation Freedom's Sentinel.SGT Jasso had earlier received the Combat Infantryman Badge,indicating he was already a combat veteran at the time of Saturday's battle.According to 2nd Battalion commander LTCOL Rob McChrystal:
SGT Jasso was a humble professional who placed the mission first,lived the Ranger Creed and will be deeply missed.*
It was the second American death in the Afghan War this month,and the tenth of 2018.On 7 November,MAJ Brent R. Taylor,Mayor of North Ogden,Utah,was killed in a green on blue attack in the Afghan capital,Kabul,while serving with the Utah Army National Guard.

First To Fight:US Marine Corps Bashes the Enemy with the Lightning II - plus the UK's own F-35B milestone

According to Naval Support Activity Bahrain,the US Marine Corps' F-35B Lightning II has been unleashed for combat operations in support of the counter-terrorist Operation Freedom's Sentinel in Afghanistan.On 27 September 2018,an F-35B conducted a successful airstrike to assist with ground clearance operations.
US Navy VADM Scott A. Stearney,commander,US Naval Forces Central Command:
As part of the Essex Amphibious Ready Group,this platform (the F-35B Lightning II) supports operations on the ground from international waters,all while enabling maritime superiority that enhances stability and security.*
The Essex ARG in turn belongs to the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit,which is the first combat-deployed MEU replacing the AV-8B Harrier with the Lockheed Martin F-35B.The F-35B scrambled for the mission is from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211,which is currently embarked on the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD-2).COL Chandler S. Nelms,13th MEU commander,said that:
The opportunity for us to be the first Navy-Marine Corps team to employ the F-35B in support of manoeuvre forces on the ground demonstrates one aspect of the capabilities this platform brings to the region,our allies and our partners.*
The F-35B,with its short takeoff/vertical landing capability,is the same variant of the Lightning II being acquired by the UK.*
CNN reported that the target on the 27 September Marine Corps mission was a fixed Taliban Islamist extremist location.The raid was dedicated to Marine Corps hero LTCOL C.K. 'Otis' Raible,who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2012 when,armed with only a pistol,he led a quick response as the Taliban launched an incursion against Camp Bastion,blowing up Harrier AV-8B aircraft on the ground.Photos show that the F-35B  launched on 27 September was armed with weapons including the GBU-32 JDAM;the GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bomb;and the GAU-22 gun pod.
It is not known how many F-35Bs went on the mission or how many of them delivered ordnance on the target.Perhaps only one delivered ordnance and others played an intel support roll,so this blog has used the singular to refer to the attacking aircraft.*
In late May,it was revealed that the Israeli F-35 Adir Joint Strike Fighter conducted the first two strikes ever made by any nation with the fifth generation aircraft.The targets were in the Middle East-quite possibly they were Iranian forces on the ground in Syria or elsewhere.*
On 25 September,Royal Air Force and Royal Navy pilots began developing the operational envelope of the F-35B on the UK's new HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier with the first takeoffs and landings on the deck of the advanced warship.This re-established British aircraft carrier aviation after an eight-year gap that began when their last AV-8B Harrier was retired from service.*
Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT)

Bulletin:US Army Ranger Killed in Action in Afghanistan - high achiever was admired within the Regiment

The Pentagon has disclosed that SFC Christopher A. Celiz,32,of Summerville,South Carolina,was killed by enemy small arms fire on 12 July 2018 in Paktia Province,Afghanistan while conducting combat operations along with Afghan Special Operations Forces.An Afghan SOF member was also killed in the firefight.The operation involved assisting a medevac landing zone in Zurmat district and was in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel.The incident is under investigation.
Paktia Province has been the site of several al-Qaida training camps and borders Nangahar Province,the ISIL-Khorasan stronghold.*
SFC Celiz was a mortar platoon sergeant with Company D,1st Battalion,75th Ranger Regiment out of Hunter Army Airfield,Georgia.He was on his fifth deployment and had previously served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.Among SFC Celiz's decorations were the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 3 stars;Iraq Campaign Medal with 2 stars;5 Army Achievement Medals;and 3 Army Commendation Medals.He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart Medal;Bronze Star Medal;and Meritorious Service Medal.
Battalion commander LTCOL Sean McGee said:
SFC Celiz led from the front and always put himself in the decisive point on the battlefield.*
This is the second US combat death in Afghanistan this year,and indeed the second within the last seven days,having been preceded by the loss of US Army CPL Joeseph Maciel last Saturday.
There will reportedly be a government review of the US military's current posture in Afghanistan in the near future.

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.

B-1 Bombers Arrive Back in CENTCOM AOR - plus more on MSGT Johnathan Dunbar

The B-1B Lancer bomber has arrived back at Al Udeid Air Base,Qatar,to resume strategic bombing missions after two years during which the B-52H Stratofortress had served in that role.The number of B-1s involved was not disclosed.
Airmen had been training intensely for several months for the CENTCOM precision strike missions at Ellsworth Air Force Base,South Dakota.They are rejoining Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria,and Operation Freedom's Sentinel in Afghanistan.*
The US Soldier recently killed in action in Northern Syria,Master Sergeant Johnathan J. Dunbar of Austin,Texas,had served three tours in Iraq and three in Afghanistan.He was awarded three Bronze Star Medals,which are given for heroic or exceptionally meritorious service in a battle zone.The Bronze Star ranks just above the Purple Heart.*
He was described as being a member of Headquarters,US Army Special Operations Command in Fort Bragg,North Carolina-a designation which often implies being a member of the elite Delta Force.*
MSGT Dunbar had earned a Ranger Tab,which does not necessarily mean he actually served in the 75th Ranger Regiment.It does mean he graduated from Ranger School,signifying a high degree of expertise in small unit combat tactics.
He also had completed the Special Forces Sniper Course,and was awarded six Army Achievement Medals,as well as four Army Commendation Medals.
Certain US Airmen,Marines and Canadian Forces members have also earned the Ranger Tab.

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.

Decorated Special Operations Pilot Killed in Afghan War Crash

On 27 October 2017,US Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jacob Michael Sims,36,of Juneau,Alaska,was killed and six other crewmembers injured when the UH-60 Blackhawk they were flying in crashed late Friday in Logar Province,Afghanistan,while on a mission in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel,US Special Operations Command said.The Soldiers were on a night raid in Kharwar district when,having transported troops there,they hit a tree and had to make an emergency landing,according to a provincial official.The Taliban Islamist extremists claimed responsibility for the incident,which is under investigation.NATO denied that enemy fire brought the helicopter down.*
CWO2 Sims was an 18-year veteran of the Army,having been deployed several times to both Iraq and Afghanistan,as well as Kosovo.He had been a Night Stalker,or special operations aviator,since 2014.Besides the UH-60,he was also rated to fly the CH-47 Chinook and its special operations version,the MH-476.Volunteering for the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne),Alpha Company,4th Battalion,out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord,Washington state,he became an MH-476 pilot-in-command and a company aviation safety officer.*
Among CWO2 Sims' awards were:
Air Medal with Combat Device;Army Commendation Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters;Army Achievement Medal with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters;Meritorious Unit Award with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters;Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 1 Bronze Campaign Star;Iraqi Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Campaign Stars;NATO Medal (3rd Award);Air Assault Badge;and Combat Action Badge.*
Colonel Philip Ryan,commander 160th SOAR (A),said that:
Jacob lived by a creed that few understand and even fewer embody.He will not be forgotten and his legacy will endure through his family,friends and fellow Night Stalkers.*
Operation Freedom's Sentinel is the US military's mission in Afghanistan,including train,advise and assist,as well as counterterror operations,conducted in coordination with the overall NATO Resolute Support Mission.More troops and equipment have been en route to the country on President Donald Trump's orders.

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.

Military Intelligence:USAF RC-135 Still Active in Afghanistan - classic ISR plane

A longtime US Air Force reconnaissance asset,the RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft,a reconfigured Boeing C-135,continues its intelligence collecting legacy in Afghanistan.A new photo of the aircraft being refueled in Afghan skies was tweeted by the Department of Defense on 10 January 2016 and a video has been released as well.A KC-135 Stratotanker of the 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron is shown refueling the Rivet Joint on 3 January 2016.The squadron is actively engaged in tactical air refueling operations which extend kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities,the Air Force said.*
According to Air Force magazine,the RC-135 is perhaps the most potent airborne intelligence-gathering platform in history.It conducts ELINT and COMINT intercept operations out to 150 miles.Later models of the plane are characterised by the variety and complexity of electronic suites,sporting additional antennae,radar platforms,bulges,stings and other less-than-aerodynamic shapes to accommodate the exotic electronics.*
From Vietnam to Operations Urgent Fury in Grenada and Desert Storm in Iraq,on to Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan,and now Operation Freedom's Sentinel,the US roles in NATO'S Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan,the plane's onboard sensor suite has detected,identified and geolocated signals throughout the electromagnetic spectrum,fowarding them to a wide range of consumers via Rivet Joint's extensive communications suite,the Air Force continues,supporting both theatre and national level consumers with near real time in country intelligence collection,analysis and dissemination capabilities.*
The 17 Rivet Joint aircraft,operated by 55th Wing,are based at Offut Air Force Base,Nebraska by crewed by up to 32 Airmen,including the flight crew of up to 3 pilots and 2 navigators;the mission flight crew of a minimum of 3 electronic warfare officers;14 intelligence operators and 4 inflight/airborne maintenance technicians.
Great Britain's Royal Air Force also flies the RC-135 Rivet Joint.*
Boeing (BA)

Special Report:US Army Green Berets,Afghan Special Forces Killed in Joint NATO-Afghan Raid

Early on Thursday,3 November 2016,five Special Operations Forces members,including two US Army Green Berets and three Afghan Special Forces members,died in heavy combat with Taliban militants in Kunduz Province,Northern Afghanistan.The joint NATO-Afghan counterterror raid targeted senior Taliban commanders.It ended when airstrikes by both Afghan and then,when the Afghans did not succeed by themselves,NATO aircraft,were called in to rescue friendly forces surrounded by enemy fire,according to the Afghan Defence Ministry.*
Killed in the battle were Captain Andrew D. Byers,30,of Rolesville,North Carolina and Sergeant First Class Ryan A. Gloyer,34,of Greenville,Pennsylvania.CAPT Byers and SGT Gloyer were assigned to 2nd Battalion,10th Special Forces Group(Airborne),Fort Carson,Colorado.The 10th Special Forces Group(Airborne) conducts combat,unconventional warfare,special reconnaissance and foreign internal defence missions focused mainly in the US European Command Area of Responsibility.Since 9-11,they have seen action in both the Afghan and Iraq Wars,as well as service in Africa.*
Reports of up to 24 civilians being killed in the battle are being investigated by the US State Department.The Kunduz Provincial Police said the Islamist extremist Taliban took refuge in civilian homes in the village of Buze Kandahari,where the battle was concentrated,using them as human shields.Buze Kandahari is near Kunduz city,a frequent flash point in the 15 year-long conflict.

Hostage Rescue by US,Afghan Special Operations Forces Draws Praise From Carter - Operation Freedom's Sentinel Success

Hostage Rescue in Afghanistan Draws Praise From Carter: Defense Secretary Ash Carter commended U.S. and Afghan special operations personnel for the professionalism and skill they demonstrated in a hostage rescue mission in Afghanistan’s Paktika province.

Afghan War (Revised and Updated):NATO Special Forces Sent In as Taliban Launch Fierce Attacks - US Airmen killed and wounded

A motorcycle packed with explosives sped up to a joint US-Afghan patrol moving through a village near Bagram Air Base in Parwan Province,Afghanistan and was detonated,killing six US Airmen and wounding two others,as well as a contractor.The Airmen were serving in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel,protecting the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing at Bagram.Among the service members killed was Air National Guard Technical Sergeant Joesph Lemm,45,a 15-year veteran of the New York City Police Department who was recently promoted to Detective on the Bronx Warrants Squad and was on his third combat tour.TSGT Lemm and one of the other Airmen,Staff Sergeant Louis M. Bonacasa,31,were with the 105th Security Forces Squadron,Stewart Air National Guard Base,New York.The other four Airmen were with various units of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.Their bodies were received in a dignified manner at Dover Air Force Base,Delaware on Wednesday by Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the vehicle-borne IED attack in an email to the Associated Press.It brings to ten the number of US troops killed in action in Afghanistan this year.Ten others died in non-hostile incidents.*
At the same time as their VBIED attack in the north,the Taliban militants were on the rampage in Helmand Province,thier traditional stronghold in the south of the country,capturing most of the strategic Sangin district.The Taliban have captured or are contesting 12 of Helmand's 14 districts.This fighting season has seen them spreading their offensives over a broad geographic area.They have not paused for a winter break as of yet,and the Pentagon reports that the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces are mounting an uneven response.A resilient Taliban insurgency remains an enduring threat to US,coalition and Afghan forces,as well as the Afghan people,the Pentagon said.
About 100-200 ANDSF were reportedly surrounded in Sangin and taking RPG fire as they ran out of ammunition and supplies.In response to this imminent collapse of Sangin and indeed Helmand itself,a small number of NATO Special Operations Forces have been sent in to advise and assist the ANDSF on the ground.Based at Camp Shorabak about 80 km from Sangin,British and US SOFs are reportedly participating in the operation,and British Apache helicopters have been seen in the air.About 65% of Helmand is currently under Taliban control,said Helmand Provincial Council chief Mohammed Kareen Atal.More than 2,000 ANDSF have been killed in Helmand this year,he added.*
The US Army's been around for 240 years,pointed out General John Campbell,commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan;the Afghan Army's been around for seven years.We're trying to build an airplane in flight.*
It's a tough fight,agreed US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter,who was on a visit to Afghanistan last week,and it's far from over.
Update:ANDSF claim they have liberated their surrounded colleagues with reinforcements and recaptured the government buildings in Sangin district centre.Fighting continued in other areas of Helmand,however.
Update 2:Heavy fighting in the Sangin area flared up again and raged into Saturday,claiming the lives of 21 ANDSF troops despite two US air strikes having been called in.It wasn't enough,ANDSF members complained.As well,they were critical of their leadership.
For his part,Afghan Defence Minister Mahmood Stanekzai criticised NATO for leaving too soon when it ended its combat operations and transitioned to the Resolute Support Mission in 2014.We were overstretched,he said,but I think we will overcome.The root of the problem is,we need more enablers,training and equipment.The right kind of support will enable us to do the job.

Afghan War:Pitched Battle With Taliban - special tactics airmen killed

Late on Tuesday 25 August,Taliban militants overran Musa Qala district centre in Helmand Province,Afghanistan,after a weeklong assault.Musa Qala is strategically important;the whole province would be under threat if Musa Qala remained in Taliban hands,including the provincial capital Lashkar Gah,an Afghan official said.Afghanistan has about 300 district centres.
Heavy fighting between the Taliban and Afghan National Defence and Security Forces erupted as the district centre and surrounding villages were overrun.Mohamed Sharif,administrative chief of Musa Qala District,said they abandoned his office,police headquarters and the central hospital.They also asked for reinforcements several times without success.Eventually more soldiers and police arrived from Kabul and were supported by NATO airstrikes,as well as NATO advise and assist personnel.
We can confirm the US has conducted multiple kinetic strikes in Musa Qala over the past 72 hours,NATO said.The warplanes struck the army and police headquarters in Musa Qala.On 30 August,the ANDSF said it had recaptured Musa Qala district centre,inflicting huge casualties on the Taliban and re-establishing control there.Up to 220 Taliban were killed,while 33 ANDSF were killed or wounded.US airstrikes alone had killed up to 40 Taliban on 26 August.Over the weeklong Taliban assault,there were 18 US airstrikes;additionally,there had been 380 other airstrikes between January and July,indicating a much wider air campaign in Afghanistan than had been previously thought.*
Even as the battle of Musa Qala progressed,on 26 August two US Air Force special tactics airmen serving in Operation Freedom's Sentinel were killed near Camp Antonik,Helmand Province.They had stopped their vehicle at a checkpoint and two men in ANDSF uniforms opened fire on them,the Air Force said.NATO service members returned fire,killing the gunmen.It isn't clear if the incident was related to the Taliban assault on Musa Qala;it is under a joint US-Afghan investigation.
Those killed were US Air Force Academy graduate Captain Matthew D. Roland,27,of Lexington,Kentucky;and Staff Sergeant Forrest B. Sibley,31,of Pensacola,Florida.They are survived by their parents.Both men were combat controllers who had served multiple tours in sensitive areas.SGT Sibley had been awarded four Bronze Stars,including one with V-device for valour.
Both airmen were qualified in terminal attack control;and were also certified as static line jumpers,free fall jumpers and combat scuba divers.Special tactics airmen integrate,synchronise,and control air and space power to enable global access,precision strike and personnel recovery for special operations.

Afghanistan:US Counterterrorism Combat Will Continue;Air Strike in Somalia

On Sunday,28 December,Operation Enduring Freedom ended after 13 years of the Afghan War that cost the lives of more than 2,000 US troops.Some 10,800 US troops will remain until America's allies up their contribution;then 9800 US troops will provide the bulk of NATO's Operation Resolute Support,which will have an end strength of 13,500.The US will share an advise,assist and training mission with its NATO allies;but will handle counterterrorism combat operations on its own under the name Operation Freedom's Sentinel.
US troops will continue to engage in combat with al Qaida militants in Afghanistan still posing a national security risk to the United States.Outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in a statement that we will work with our allies and partners as part of NATO's Resolute Support Mission to continue training,advising and assisting Afghan security forces.And we will continue our counterterrorism mission against the remnants of al Qaida to ensure that Afghanistan is never again used to stage attacks against our homeland.
General John Campbell,US Army,is commander of both NATO's Operation Resolute Support and America's Operation Freedom's Sentinel.The Afghan National Security Forces number more than 350,000 troops and police,and have shown themselves to be fairly competent in combat and security operations after extensive training,though deficient in logistics and airpower against a Taliban and al Qaida enemy that remain determined and dangerous to the fledgling Afghan democracy.*
Meanwhile,the US continues to combat Islamist militants in Somalia as well.Today it conducted an airstrike on a leader of the al-Shabab organization near Saakow,Somalia.The militant's identity was not revealed;nor had the effectiveness of the strike been ascertained;it was still being assessed.Al-Shabab is an al Qaida affiliate.
Update:On Wednesday 31 December,the Pentagon stated that the Somali Islamist militant leader targeted in Monday's airstrike had been killed when his vehicle was struck by several Hellfire missiles fired by a drone.The strike had been triggered by actionable intelligence.The leader killed was Tahliil Abdishakur,chief of al-Shabab's intelligence section.