Coalition Military Leaders Discuss Operation Inherent Resolve

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Feb. 8, 2015 – Military leaders representing member states of a combined joint task force to degrade and ultimately destroy the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant gathered Feb. 2-3 to discuss the way ahead in Operation Inherent Resolve, task force officials announced today.

The U.S.-led coalition was established after ISIL seized control of territory in Iraq and Syria.

Iraqi security forces have commenced offensive operations on multiple fronts in Iraq, officials said, with the United States and coalition partners supporting them with airstrikes and by training of security force personnel and advisor teams.

Coalition forces have launched more than 2,000 airstrikes in Syria and Iraq since the beginning of Operation Inherent Resolve.

Maintaining Collaboration

“Throughout the two-day event, we maintained coalition collaboration, [and] we encouraged candid views, discussions, sharing of ideas, challenges and successes. We also had the opportunity to hear from all of our coalition representatives,” said Canadian Army Lt. Col. Ryan Jurtkowski, the combined joint task force’s deputy chief of plans.

Leaders in attendance used the conference as a platform to brief planners from around the world about the state of their nations’ support to the coalition and the mission, officials said. The conference focused on measuring the progress made thus far in degrading ISIL in Iraq, and collaborating on effective future operations, they added.

“We continue to broaden our collective views of the mission and maintain the tremendous collaboration we’ve shared to date,” said U.S. Army Lt. Gen. James L. Terry, the combined joint task force’s commanding general.

More than 20 nations sent military leaders to the conference, and the consensus of participants was that the effort was successful, officials said.