Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. 

Sgt. 1st Class James F. Grissom, 31, of Hayward, Calif., died Mar. 21 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, of wounds suffered from small arms fire March 18 in Paktika Province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. 

For more information, media may contact the Special Forces Command (Airborne) public affairs office at 910-689-6187.

DOD Releases Strategy for Homeland Defense and Defense Support for Civil Authorities

                The Department of Defense announced today the release of the Strategy for Homeland Defense and Defense Support of Civil Authorities.  This policyestablishes DoD’s priorities in the areas of homeland defense and defense support of civil authorities through 2020, consistent with the president’s National Security Strategy and the 2012 Defense Strategic Guidance. It links with other DoD and national strategic documents related to missile defense, space, cyberspace, counterterrorism, and the Western Hemisphere. The strategy identifies two priority missions for the department in the homeland: defend U.S. territory from direct attack by state and non-state actors; and provide assistance to domestic civil authorities in the event of natural or manmade disasters, potentially in response to a very significant or catastrophic event. 

      The strategy emphasizes cost-effective policy mechanisms and innovative approaches to defend the homeland against direct attacks and to provide timely responses to routine and catastrophic events on U.S. territory.  It stresses the continuation of DoD capabilities to defend against conventional and emerging threats in the air and maritime domains, while expanding cooperation with federal, state, and local partners to defeat asymmetric threats – including, for example, homegrown violent extremists who may seek to use improvised explosive devices.  Additionally, it addresses DoD preparations for responding to man-made and natural disasters. 

      “The Department of Defense’s contributions to the defense of our nation have evolved over the past decade and account for new threats and challenges.  Lessons learned from events like Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy and collaboration with our interagency partners and State Governors have framed our current approach to DoD civil support activities,” said Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas’ Security Affairs Todd Rosenblum.  “This strategy emphasizes strengthening our partnerships with federal agencies like the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice, with state and local governments, with the private sector, and with our Canadian and Mexican neighbors – not only for more comprehensive approaches to complex security challenges in the homeland, but also to create efficiencies through collaboration and joint action,”

            For further information about this strategy, please access http://www.defense.gov/news/Homelanddefensestrategy.pdf

Combined Operation Yields Arrests in Wardak Province

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release KABUL, Afghanistan, March 22, 2013 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force today arrested a senior Taliban leader and two high-profile attack facilitators and detained two other insurgents in the Jalrayz district of Afghanistan’s Wardak province, military officials reported. The Taliban leader is accused of planning and directing a number of high-profile attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. His background includes kidnapping and assassination attempts against government officials, efforts to destabilize Afghan elections and recruitment of insider-threat agents, officials said. In other Afghanistan operations today: -- A combined force in Kunduz province’s Khanabad district detained an insurgent during a search for a Taliban operational leader. The insurgent is believed to be a member of the leader’s cell of fighters and to have participated in numerous attacks against Afghan government officials and Afghan and coalition forces. -- In Paktia province’s Gardez district, a combined force arrested a facilitator who works for both the Taliban and the Haqqani network and is accused of handling money and supplies for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also was in direct contact with senior leadership for several extremist groups.

Austin: Afghanistan, Engagement Remain Centcom Priorities

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla., March 22, 2013 – The war in Afghanistan and maintaining contacts throughout the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility will be Centcom’s continuing mission, Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III said here today after taking the command’s reins.

Austin received the Centcom flag from Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis, who will retire after a four-decade military career.

The general assumes command at a time when American troops are still in combat in Afghanistan and the outcome of the Arab Spring remains unknown.

Austin praised the men and women of the command for their expertise and professionalism, noting that in the last decade, the command has fought two wars thousands of miles from America’s shores. He also thanked the representatives of 60 nations who have fought alongside America’s finest.

“All 60 nations are continuing to play an integral role in what we do at this unique headquarters and throughout the Centcom area of responsibility,” he said.

All that the military has accomplished in Iraq and Afghanistan is incredible, Austin said, but he added that he’ll leave the final word to historians.

“The fact is, the full story has not been written,” he said. “That said, these are historic times and challenging times, and much more will be required of us in the days ahead, for the world that we live in remains complex and extremely volatile.” Much of that instability is in the Central Command region.

Calling Afghanistan his top priority, Austin pledged to do all he can to ensure the success of the mission there. The United States and its allies will continue to work with the Afghans so their security forces can protect their own people, and this commitment will continue beyond the end of 2014, when Afghan forces will have full security responsibility for their country and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force mission ends.

The United States must remain engaged in the Middle East and Central Asia, Austin said. “We must remain mindful of the fact that success in our various critical endeavors will require the efforts of many -- indeed, all -- of us, working together,” he added, noting that the leaders and people of the region want to help to find solutions for the problems.

The general cited the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council as just two organizations that can work toward peace in the region. “The U.S. will continue to play an important role as a key partner to our friends and allies,” Austin said. “We will provide them with the necessary support, and we will stand ready and willing to hold accountable those who would threaten the regional stability and security through their actions or through the actions of proxies.”

MQ-1B Predator accident report released

Release Number: 031913

3/21/2013 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. -- An MQ-1B Predator propellor malfunction led to the crash of the aircraft in a non-residential area in Afghanistan Oct. 26, 2012, according to an Air Combat Command abbreviated accident investigation board report released March 13.

The mishap crew and mishap remotely piloted aircraft were assigned to the 432d Wing at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada. When the accident occurred, the crew was flying a surveillance mission out of Jalalabad Air Base, Afghanistan.

According to the report, the crew received a high temperature caution message, indicating a problem with the variable pitch propeller, roughly 10 hours into the mission. Eventually, the propellor failed in a manner that only allowed movement to a lower propeller-pitch angle. While attempting to resolve the problem, the mishap pilot momentarily commanded the propeller pitch to an angle that produced reverse thrust, and the system would not accept commands to return the propeller to a higher pitch angle. The resulting loss of forward thrust prevented the aircraft from returning to base. The pilot was then directed to crash the aircraft because it would not be able to reach a suitable landing location.

The accident investigation board president found by clear and convincing evidence, the cause of the mishap was a combination of mechanical failure of the propeller motor and unneccessary movements of the propeller pitch control lever by the mishap pilot. Additionally, the board president found by a preponderance of evidence that incorrect and insufficient checklist guidance, reinforced by incorrect simulator training, substantially contributed to the mishap.

The aircraft and one air-to-ground AGM-114 Hellfire missile were destroyed on impact. The loss is valued at approximately $4.6 million. There were no injuries or damage to government or private property.

Combined Force Arrests Weapons Broker in Kandahar

From an International Security Assistance Force News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, March 21, 2013 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban weapons facilitator and detained another insurgent in the Arghandab district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

The facilitator is accused of brokering deals for weapons and ammunition for insurgent fighters to use in attacks on Afghan and coalition forces.

In Helmand province’s Nawah-ye Barakzai district yesterday, a combined security force arrested a Taliban leader and detained two other insurgents believed to have carried out a significant number of improvised explosive device attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

In other news, Afghan and coalition security forces today confirmed the death of Hazratullah, a Haqqani network leader, in Khost province’s Sabari district. He had a long history of procuring weapons, IED components, ammunition and other supplies for militants to use in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

Wardak Could Be Early Test of Transition Success, Official Says

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 20, 2013 – Afghanistan’s political situation and its people’s confidence will be essential to a successful shift to Afghan-led security, a top commander of NATO troops in Afghanistan said today.

Briefing Pentagon reporters by video link from Kabul, Afghanistan, Lt. Gen. Nick Carter of the British army, deputy commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force, said the transition in Wardak province, which Afghan President Hamid Karzai last month ordered all U.S. special operations forces to leave, offers an example of the issues coalition forces and their Afghan partners face as they exchange supported and supporting roles.

Transition in Wardak is an “interesting pilot,” Carter said.

“Wardak is probably one of the most complicated provinces that we have had to deal with, and how this goes I think will be a good bellwether of how the overall transition process works,” the general explained.

Wardak sits on a political divide, he said, with tension between tribes and with the Taliban. “Many of the elders and landowners from Wardak have moved back into Kabul,” Carter noted. “And the extent to which there is, therefore, the fabric of leadership in place in Wardak is very challenging.”
The politics of Wardak “give us a really good indication as to how the Afghans are going to manage transition as we step forward,” he said. “So it's an interesting place to focus on in terms of our attention.”

The general said the overall NATO ISAF campaign is at an inflection point, as the final phase of the transfer of security responsibility to Afghan forces takes place this year, mostly in the eastern provinces. ISAF will revert “to train, advise, assist, and enable, where appropriate, with combat operations happening either in extremis or certainly on a limited basis,” Carter said.

Operations in Afghanistan will proceed through Afghan command channels, as coalition forces begin to concentrate their efforts “up to the brigade level in the context of the Afghan army this fall, and then up to the corps level, probably after the election next summer,” he said.

Afghan security forces’ current capability tells a significant success story, Carter said, with five out of the 26 Afghan army brigades now operating independently, and 16 of them effective with support. This “is a creditable performance and it's one that we see improving significantly during the course of this year,” he added.

Afghanistan has changed significantly over 10 years, and that confuses things for the Taliban, the general said. Schooling and greatly expanded use of mobile phones and the Internet have made the population more aware, while economic improvement and expanded medical care have improved conditions for many people.

The Taliban will have to grapple with those changes, the general said. “I think for all those reasons, the insurgency is having to think differently about how it might come back, if it ever came back in political participatory terms,” he said.

Carter said despite growing competence in Afghan forces and improvements in the people’s standard of living, the biggest challenge of the moment is maintaining Afghan confidence.

“Afghans still need reassuring,” he said. “And, of course, they've got this significant political transition coming up in 2014, and that will be very challenging. You have to go back to 1902 for the last time there was a peaceful political transition in Afghanistan, and that, of course, worries Afghans.”

The general noted that deadlines have a habit of focusing minds.

“What we have to compete with in challenge terms this year is maintaining the population's confidence through into 2014. … And to my mind, that's the big challenge,” he said.

Kelly Warns of Potential Crime-Terrorism Nexus in Latin America

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 20, 2013 – A potential connection between crime syndicates and terrorists in Latin America would constitute a clear danger to the region, U.S. Southern Command’s senior leader told reporters at the Pentagon today.

Marine Corps Gen. John F. Kelly, commander of U.S. Southern Command, holds a news conference with reporters at the Pentagon, March 20, 2013. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Marine Corps Gen. John F. Kelly said the increase in Iranian influence in Latin America is worrisome, and an example of the peril that the combination of criminal networks and states that sponsor terrorism, like Iran, could pose.

Kelly, who took over U.S. Southern Command in November, told reporters at a Pentagon news conference that in the past six years Iran has tried to increase its influence in Central and South America. The Iranian government, he said, has built embassies and cultural centers in the region.

“The concern is that … they’re looking … for influence -- say for votes in the U.N. on sanctions,” he said. “But also, and I've … made mention to some of our friends in the region that these guys are very, very good at what they do, and very, very skilled at what they do, and that people should just be careful as to who they're dealing with.”
The general stressed he is not accusing Iran of sponsoring terrorism in Latin America, but he noted that Iran is involved in terrorism in other areas of the world.

“We do know that some terrorist organizations are able to skim off fairly substantial sums of money from the drug profits,” Kelly said. “And so there has to be kind of a network for that to happen.”

The criminal networks in Latin America are very sophisticated and very well financed, he said.

Drugs are the basis for this wealth and the drug-related money coming out of the United States “is astronomical,” Kelly said.

“I mean palettes of money,” he said. “For a buck, anything can get on the [drug transport] network.”
That network, Kelly said, transports tons of drugs into the United States and Europe and moves bales of money back out.

“The point of it all is the network is a very dangerous thing to have working as effectively as it does, because anything can get on it,” he said.

Kelly said his command is working to build military-to-military contacts throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

“The good news about Latin America and my part of the world is that there are no wars,” he said.

And most Latin American countries, including Brazil -- the world’s fifth-largest economy -- want the United States as a partner, Kelly said.

The countries of the region don’t ask for much, the general said.

“When I go down and visit, they’re not asking for an awful [lot] -- they’re not asking for money,” Kelly said. “They’re willing to pay their own way.”

What the Latin American countries need is expertise, the general said. For example, Peru is asking for help in getting its separate military services to work together better. Colombia needs help in countering improvised explosive devices that the terror group FARC and criminal syndicates use to protect coca fields and factories. Other nations need medical expertise.

Turning to another topic, Kelly noted that sequestration will hit his command hard. He said there will be fewer vessels to interdict cocaine shipments, and fewer troops to operate with partner militaries.

Combined Force Arrests Taliban Facilitator in Kandahar

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, March 20, 2013 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban facilitator in the city of Kandahar in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

The facilitator was responsible for procuring components for improvised explosive devices, building them, and distributing them to other insurgents or personally planting them for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, officials said.

In Afghanistan operations yesterday:

-- A combined force in Balkh province’s Mazar-e Sharif district arrested a Taliban facilitator who is accused of procuring IED components, suicide vests and other weapons and distributing them to insurgents for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. At the time of his arrest, he was believed to be actively planning an attack against high-ranking government officials in conjunction with celebrations marking the traditional Afghan new year, or Nowruz. The security force also arrested another insurgent.

-- In Helmand province’s Nahr-e Saraj district, a combined force killed a man who was engaging in insurgent activity.

In other news, Afghan and coalition security forces today confirmed the death of a Taliban leader, Ruhulla, in Nangahar province’s Khugyani district March 17. Ruhulla was a known IED expert responsible for numerous attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

Stavridis Shares NATO Perspective on Afghanistan, Syria

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2013 – Afghan security forces are on track to assume complete control of security in the country, and NATO is monitoring the situation in Syria, the top U.S. commander in Europe said here today.

“They currently have 87 percent of the population under their remit, and that will go up to 100 percent this year,” said Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, who also serves as NATO’s supreme allied commander for Europe.

Stavridis told the Senate Armed Services Committee he is “very focused” on Afghanistan, which he called “a key operational mission for NATO at the moment.”

The admiral said he believes the president's decision to draw down 34,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan by February 2014 “looks militarily supportable.” Additionally, he said, NATO intends to negotiate a status of forces agreement with Afghanistan for NATO forces to participate in a post-2014 mission -- independent of the U.S. negotiation for a similar agreement.

“It's going to be sequential,” he told the senators. “We're going to conclude the U.S. [bilateral security agreement], … and then we will move forward with the NATO one after that, using the U.S. one as a basis.”
Stavridis also discussed NATO’s position on the current situation in Syria.

“As we all know, the Syrian situation continues to become worse and worse and worse -- 70,000 killed, a million refugees pushed out of the country, probably 2.5 million internally displaced,” he said. “No end in sight to a vicious civil war. The alliance has taken a position that it will follow the same sequence that was used in Libya.”

Prior to NATO involvement, he explained, there would have to be a U.N. Security Council resolution, a regional agreement, and agreement among the alliance’s 28 nations.

“So within NATO channels, what we are focused on is defending that border with Syria,” Stavridis added. “We've moved Patriot missiles down [there] to do that. We are looking at a wide range of operations, and we are prepared if called upon to be engaged as we were in Libya.”

Northcom Maintains Watch Over Homeland, Commander Says

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2013 – “We have the watch,” the commander of U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command told Congress today, emphasizing the dual commands’ vigilance in protecting the homeland.

“That’s my No. 1 priority mission,” Army Gen. Charles H. Jacoby Jr. told the Senate Armed Services Committee, while acknowledging concerns that budget uncertainties could hamper the commands’ ability to step ahead of evolving threats.

Jacoby reported on successes of Operation Noble Eagle, a mission stood up immediately after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and that continues today, providing “well-honed and uncompromising 24/7 defense of our skies.”

But the security environment is becoming “increasingly complex and dynamic,” he warned. “Threats are adapting and evolving. Technologies advance and proliferate, creating greater vulnerability in the homeland than ever before.”

This complicates the homeland defense mission, he said, from cyber and ballistic missile defense to efforts to counter transnational criminal organizations.

Budget uncertainties add another wrinkle, he said, injecting additional uncertainties in what capabilities can be developed or procured to deal with these threats.

“Readiness concerns are sure to grow,” Jacoby said. The most pressing, he said, will be unforecasted cuts to training and exercise programs that he called “fundamental to building partnerships essential for responding to events in the homeland.”

“Unexpected loss of service capabilities and readiness could also, in the future, erode our ability to conduct our critical homeland defense missions,” he said.

In the midst of these uncertainties, Northcom and NORAD will remain committed to deterring, preventing and defeating aggression against the United States and Canada, Jacoby said.
Meanwhile, Northcom also continues to focus on its mission of providing defense support to civil authorities, as required.

“Our citizens have a high expectation of our ability to defend and support them here in the homeland, and rightfully so,” Jacoby told the Senate panel. “In the event of a natural or manmade disaster, Northcom meets those expectations by leveraging a tremendous capability and capacity of the Defense Department to support a lead agency,” such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Jacoby recognized Northcom’s role in interagency response to Hurricane Sandy. “Hurricane Sandy offered us a glimpse of what a complex catastrophe which spanned several states and regions could look like,” he said.

Jacoby called the appointment of dual-status commanders during the response one of the most important initiatives in the area of defense support to civil authorities in a decade that promotes a unity of effort among federal and state responders.

He pledged to continue maturing the successful dual-status command construct that Congress approved through the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act “so we will be ready to act swiftly and with unity of effort when the unthinkable happens and we are called.”

In addition, he vowed to continue advancing security cooperation efforts with Mexico and the Bahamas. These efforts help the United States and its neighbors stand as a united force against their common goals, he said.

“When it comes to the security of North America and the shared pursuit of enduring stability and prosperity, we cannot afford to work in isolation,” Jacoby said in his prepared statement.

Deployed Mother Stays Close to Her Children

By Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Blakeslee
1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division

FORWARD OPERATING BASE APACHE, Afghanistan, March 18, 2013 – When soldiers deploy, it means months of separation from family members, loved ones and friends. One of the hardest separations anyone can face is leaving behind a child.

Army Staff Sgt. Bonnie Clark displays a picture of her three children while deployed to Forward Operating Base Apache in Afghanistan’s Zabul province, March 13, 2013. Keeping close ties with her children is a top priority for Clark while deployed. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Blakeslee   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Army Staff Sgt. Bonnie Clark doesn’t have time to anguish over missing her children while she’s deployed here. A human resources specialist assigned to 3rd Infantry Division’s Command Group, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, Combined Task Force Raider, Clark chooses to use this time apart in a positive manner.
“I stay active in my children's lives, even while deployed,” said Clark, a Belmont, Miss., native and the proud mother of three young boys. “I could get upset, but that’s not going to accomplish anything. Instead, I stay as active in my kids' lives as possible, like emailing their teachers weekly and being involved in every decision which affects them.”

Clark’s children appear to thrive on their mother’s attention and affections back at their home in Hinesville, Ga., excelling in their academics and extracurricular activities.

“My oldest son, Dominique, is maintaining a straight ‘A’ average in school, and I have next to no discipline problems with any of them,” the single mother said. “It’s the little things you do to stay connected with them that makes the difference -- the phone calls, sending pictures and just letting them know they are loved, no matter what, and not forgotten.”

Dominique, 7, earned the 2012 Young Georgia Authors Award for penning a story titled “Sam and the Three Hats.” He beat out several hundred children in his age group to take the title -- a fact not lost on his mother.

“I’m still so proud of him,” she said. “The YGAA award is a great honor, but I would be proud of him even if he didn’t win it. All my children just want to please me, but as a mother, I love them no matter what they do.”

Clark is equally proud of her other two boys, Demonte, 4, and Triston, 9 months.
“Demonte is outgoing and brave, and the baby, Triston is a very happy and well adjusted,” said a teary-eyed Clark. “My boys are very well-behaved and well-mannered. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

Combined Force Arrests Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan Leader

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, March 18, 2013 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader in the Kunduz district of Afghanistan’s Kunduz province today, military officials reported.

The leader is believed to have coordinated multiple attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, and has had a vital role in acquiring weapons for extremist fighters, officials said.

Also today, a combined force in Kandahar province’s Panjwai district detained several insurgents while searching for a Taliban leader suspected of being the deputy commander of a cell of insurgent fighters involved in kidnappings, roadside bomb operations and direct-fire attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

In Afghanistan operations yesterday:

-- An Afghan and coalition security force killed an insurgent in Helmand province’s Nad-e Ali district after seeing him engaged in insurgent activity.

-- In Kandahar’s Panjwai district, a combined force killed Taliban facilitator Abdul Satar and another insurgent. Satar was directly involved in obtaining bomb-making materials, weapons and supplies for enemy fighters and recruiting operatives. He also participated in attacks targeting Afghan local police.

-- Also in Kandahar’s Panjwai district, a combined force arrested a Taliban leader accused of being in charge of a large cell of insurgent fighters known for attacking Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also detained several other insurgents.

-- In Nangarhar province’s Khugyani district, a combined force killed an armed insurgent after seeing him engaging in insurgent activity.

-- A combined force in Kandahar’s Panjwai district arrested five insurgents during a search for a Taliban leader believed to be in charge of a large cell of insurgent fighters known for attacking Afghan and coalition forces.

In March 16 operations:

-- A combined force in Khost province’s Musa Khel district arrested a Haqqani network leader who is accused of having operational control over several extremist cells and to have personally led attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also had a crucial role in obtaining weapons for militants.

-- In Helmand’s Nad-e Ali district, a combined force killed a Taliban leader who directed and executed attacks and kidnappings targeting Afghan and coalition forces.

-- A combined force detained a several insurgents in Logar province’s Pul-e Alam district during a search for a Taliban facilitator believed to be responsible for coordinating and conducting attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and procuring and distributing weapons and ammunition to insurgents.

In a March 15 operation, a combined force in Jowzjan province detained an insurgent during a search for a pair of Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan high-profile attack coordinators who work together to orchestrate attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

In March 14 operations:

-- A combined force arrested an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan suicide attack coordinator during in Kunduz’s Imam Sahib district. At the time of his arrest, he was actively planning an operation against Afghan forces, officials said.

-- A combined force in Nimroz province’s Delaram district arrested a Taliban logistics leader who is believed to be in charge of the entire supply chain for an insurgent network operating in the central Helmand River valley area supervising the acquisition, transportation and distribution of weapons, IEDs and IED materials to several Taliban leaders. The security force also detained another insurgent.

-- In Logar’s Pul-e Alam district, a combined force arrested a Taliban leader who is believed to be heavily involved in insurgent operations throughout the district. He is accused of having engaged in a campaign of intimidation against Afghan authorities in the region and of obtaining weapons for extremists. The security force also detained another insurgent.

-- A combined force in Logar’s Baraki Barak district arrested a Haqqani network IED expert suspected of having authority over a cell of fighters responsible for mortar and rocket attacks against Afghan and coalition fighters. The security force also detained two other insurgents.

-- In Logar’s Pul-e Alam district, a combined force arrested a Haqqani facilitator accused of acquiring weapons, IEDs and other supplies for insurgent networks. He also is believed to have coordinated and participated in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also arrested several other insurgents.

NATO Secretary General Discusses Progress in Afghanistan

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 18, 2013 – Though setbacks may happen, real progress is taking place in Afghanistan, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in Brussels today.

In a news conference at NATO headquarters, Rasmussen discussed a recent trip to Afghanistan’s Helmand province, once a Taliban stronghold, to visit International Security Assistance Force service members and meet with Afghan officials.

Rasmussen said he saw a significant shift from NATO control and operations to Afghan forces in charge of security.

“The Afghan army and police are in charge of three quarters of the province,” he added. “They are already conducting nearly all the security operations. ISAF’s role has already shifted to training, advising and assisting.”

Rasmussen stressed that in places such as Helmand, Afghan forces “are doing the job.”

Now, the challenge for NATO and partner nations shifts from doing the mission to sustaining the effort, he said. “That means providing the training they need in leadership,” he told reporters. “That means specialized skills such as logistics, management and maintenance.”

The ISAF mission ends at the end of 2014, and Rasmussen acknowledged that the mission will not be easy. “There will be hard fighting. There will be casualties, and there may be setbacks,” he said. “But already Afghanistan’s forces are stronger than they have been at any other moment in history. They will continue to grow stronger, more effective and more experienced. And we are determined to support them through 2014 and beyond.”

Security is just one aspect of progress in the country, he noted. Local governments are taking hold in Helmand, the secretary general said, and elected district councils are investing funds in development.
“This is the Afghan people’s chance to take control of their security and to take control of their destiny,” he added. “I believe, and the Afghans with whom I spoke believe, that this is a chance which they must seize.”
In the Afghan capital of Kabul, Rasmussen said, he met with young Afghans who are committed to a democratic and stable country.

“A new generation has emerged in Afghanistan,” he said. “This young generation wants a new way of life, not a return to the dark days of the past. The Afghan people have tasted freedom and seen what progress can bring. In the future, the enemies of Afghanistan must not only fight a strong Afghan army, they will also have to fight the aspirations of the Afghan people toward freedom, peace and prosperity.”

Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of five soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

They died March 11, in Kandahar, Afghanistan.  The incident is under investigation.  Killed were:

Staff Sgt. Steven P. Blass, 27, of Estherville, Iowa.  He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.

Chief Warrant Officer Bryan J. Henderson, 27, of Franklin, La.  He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.

Capt. Sara M. Knutson, 27, of Eldersburg, Md.  She was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.

Staff Sgt. Marc A. Scialdo, 31, of Naples, Fla.  He was assigned to the 603rd Aviation Support Battalion, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.

Spc. Zachary L. Shannon, 21, of Dunedin, Fla.  He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.

For more information, media may contact the Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield Public Affairs Office at 912-210-9375.

Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Chief Warrant Officer James E. Groves III, 37, of Kettering, Ohio, died March 16 in Kandahar, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to 3rd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.  This incident is under investigation.

For more information please contact the Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield Public Affairs Office at 912-210-9375.

Navy Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Chief Petty Officer Christian Michael Pike, 31, of Peoria, Ariz., died March 13 in Landstuhl, Germany, as a result of combat-related injuries sustained on March 10 while conducting stability operations in Maiwand District, Afghanistan.  Pike was assigned to a West Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit.

For further information related to this release, please contact Naval Special Warfare Command Public Affairs Office at 619-522-2816 or 619-522-2825.