Green on Blue Attack in Kapisa

An insider attack took place in Kapisa province killing two U.S. Soldiers and wounding four others. Read more in "Afghan security forces kill 2 US soldiers, wound 4 in insider attack", All Voices.com, February 13, 2014.

Karzai Says U.S. is Harassing Afghanistan Over Detainee Issue

Karzai continues to poke his fingers in our eyes. The latest news from Karzai is that the United States is 'harassing' him over the recent release of 65 detainees from the Bagram high-security detention center. Read more in "Karzai: US 'harassing' Afghanistan over detainee release", DEFCON Hill Defense Blog, February 13, 2014.

Paper by Seth Jones - Back to the Future: The Resurgence of Salafi-Jihadists

Dr. Seth Jones testified before the House Armed Services Committee on February 4, 2014 about the resurgence of Salafi-Jihadists. His testimony is available in a publication by RAND Corporation entitled "Back to the Future: The Resurgence of Salafi-Jihadist". While relevant to the conflict in Afghanistan from the standpoint of the "Core Al Qa'Ida" being based in Afghanistan it is a paper that provides information on the worldwide network of Salafi-Jihadists. The testimony report is available on the RAND website at the below link:

www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/testimonies/CT400/CT405/RAND_CT405.pdf

Clapper Says Karzai Won't Sign Bilateral Security Agreement

In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee the U.S. National Intelligence Chief, James Clapper, says that he doesn't think President Karzai will sign the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) with the United States. There are many who say we should just ignore Karzai and wait for the next Afghan president to be elected in either April or in the run-off to be held mid-summer. And I am one of those who say we should marginalize Karzai and treat him like the lame-duck that he is! Read more in "U.S. Intelligence Chief Believes Karzai Won't Sign BSA", Radio Free Europe, February 12, 2014.

Afghan Border Police Learn Map Reading

Photo by CPL Mariah Best, Feb 8, 2014

Security Force Assistance Advisory Teams (SFAAT) continue to work with their counterparts in Afghanistan to improve their capabilities. Intelligence is an important aspect of the counterinsurgency fight in Afghanistan. One of the key functions of an intelligence analyst is being able to plot a grid coordinate on a map. This is one of the many areas where the intelligence advisor on a SFAAT can provide assistance - facilitating map reading classes for the advised Afghan National Security Force unit to improve its intelligence skills. A recent news release by the military provides us with a great example of this - recently 1LT Jonathan Ramey of 3rd BCT, 1st Infantry Division assisted his Afghan counterpart in running a map reading class for members of the 3rd Zone Afghan Border Police in Kandahar. Read more in "Map-reading course brings success to ANP operations", DVIDS, February 10, 2014.

Irrigation Canal Provides Prosperity for Two Districts in Panjshir Valley

Two communities in the Panjshir Valley located north of Kabul in Panjshir province are benefiting from combining their resources and working through their respective Community Development Councils (CDCs) to build a government-funded irrigation canal. The farmers should be able to double their agricultural output with the new canal. The funding was provided by international donors through the National Solidarity Program (NSP). The NSP is a function of the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) and supported by the World Bank and Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF). The funded program encourages local governance and development through small-scale infrastructure initiatives. Read more in "Irrigation Canal Unites Two Communities", World Bank, February 10, 2014.

MC-12W ISR Provides Find, Fix Capability to ISAF

The MC-12 W Liberty aircraft has been providing a find, fix, and finish capability to ISAF since December 2009 in Afghanistan. The MC-12 aircraft is well-suited for providing critical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance for U.S. forces. The aircraft has tactical systems on board such as cameras and other sensors. In a counterinsurgency fight the development of intelligence to find and fix the enemy is key. Read more in "MC-12s find, fix and finish in Afghanistan", DVIDS, February 10, 2014. (Photo by Senior Airman Newman).

Afghanistan Through a Western Lens Looks Like Failure

Most observers look at the outcome in Afghanistan as a failure. The government is ineffective and corrupt, the Taliban remain strong and entrenched in their support zones, the Afghan Army can conduct battalion (kandak), brigade, and corps level operations to clear an area of Taliban but don't know how to hold an area. The Afghan police is corrupt as well as the judiciary system, aid dollars are squandered and/or sitting in Dubai bank accounts, and provincial governors are consorting with the Taliban. Karzai has turned on the United States, releasing hardened Taliban fighters, accusing the U.S. of crimes against Afghan civilians, and is increasing his verbal assaults against the United States. Many predict that the Afghan election will be fraudulent and the outcome may be a president even worse than Karzai elected as President. However some think there is a lot of positive trends in place and accuse us of looking at Afghanistan from a western viewpoint. Read "To See the Progress in Afghanistan Stop Viewing the Country Through a Western Lens", The Daily Beast, February 11, 2014.

Interview with Fawzia Koofi - Woman MP in Afghan Parliament

A woman member of the Afghan parliament and a strong advocate for women's rights in Afghanistan has provided an interview highlighting the difficulties that women have in the Afghan governmental process. Fawzia Koofi was a presidential candidate planning to run in the April 2014 presidential elections until she was disqualified. Read more about Fawzia Koofi in "The leadership turns off our microphones when we speak", The Guardian, February 8, 2014.

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RAND Paper - Historical Lessons Negotiating with Insurgencies

RAND Corporation has published a paper entitled "From Stalemate to Settlement: Lessons for Afghanistan From Historical Insurgencies That Have Been Resolved Through Negotiations", By Colin R. Clarke and Christopher Paul, dated February 2014. The paper, a research project, examines 13 historical cases of insurgencies that were resolved through negotiated settlement in which neither side unambiguously prevailed. Negotiations with the Taliban have been less than fruitful thus far. The cases presented in the paper reveal that the path to negotiated settlement generally proceeds in several steps. The findings could serve as an important tool to guide the progress in resolving the Afghan conflict through negotiations as the U.S. and ISAF forces withdraw. You can read or download the RAND document online on the RAND web site at this link - www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR469.html

USAID Outlines Funding for Afghanistan

USAID has announced three new development programs to assist the Afghans as they transition from an economy dominated by aid and development programs provided by donor nations, the effects of having thousands of foreign troops stationed in the country, and the drug trade. One program provides $125 million to Afghanistan's food and farm sector, a second program with a price tag of $77 million over four years will attempt to open Afghanistan up to greater international trade and investment, and the third program worth almost $100 million will help ten Afghan universities with programs that are partnered with three U.S. universities. The U.S. Congress significantly reduced aid to Afghanistan (almost by one half) in the latest budget deal. Read more in "U.S. aid plan seeks to shield Afghanistan from end to war economy", Reuters, February 9, 2014.

Australia's Role in Afghanistan Changes to Advising

Australia's role in Afghanistan has taken many forms from advising the police to providing special operations troops for direct action missions. One of the most important missions, providing security for Uruzgan province, is now complete. The Australians have withdrawn from Uruzgan where the Afghan National is now in the lead for security. Australian troops continue to have an advisory role with the 205th Corps and in Regional Command South. In addition, the Australians continue to advise and train at the Afghan National Academy and the Afghan Special Police Unit. Read more in "Australia's Role in Afghanistan Shifts to Advisory", Defense News, February 10, 2014.

News About OCC-R at FOB Gamberi

"LAGHMAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – On March 2, 2008, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai signed the decree that initiated the creation of Operational Coordination Centers at the provincial and regional levels for the Afghan National Security Forces. The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan designed these OCC-Provincials and OCC-Regionals to serve as hubs of information wherein the different pillars of the ANSF could share intelligence and coordinate operations in real time, even while missions are being executed. Six years later, OCCs are now located across the country. Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police, Afghan Border Police, Afghan Civil Order Police, and the National Directorate of Security, all work together under the same roof at these centers to help keep their country secure." 

Read more about the OCC-R located at FOB Gamberi in the North of Kabul (NoK) area of Regional Command East in "Coordination centers fortify Afghan security", DVIDS, February 9, 2014. Learn more about OCC-Rs in Afghanistan here.

Germany Urges Afghanistan to Sign Bilateral Security Agreement

The German Foreign Minister recently visited Afghanistan and urged the Afghanistan government to sign the Bilateral Security Agreement. Frank-Walter Steinmeier spent some time at the Afghan foreign ministry in Kabul and met with his Afghan counterpart. Steinmeier also visited Mazar-e-Sharif - a northern Afghan city where over 3,000 German troops are currently stationed.  The German government has decided to extend its deployment to Afghanistan until the end of 2014. Read more in "German FM Urges Afghan Leader to Sign U.S. Troop Deal", Defense News, February 9, 2014.

Karzai's Vilification of America is Playing With Fire

President Karzai's incoherent actions aimed at the United States has perplexed many and worried many more. He risks losing it all for Afghanistan. Sure, he will be fine. As one of the most corrupt leaders in the world he has squirreled away billions in Dubai banks for his very comfortable retirement. But it is Afghanistan that everyone worries about. Read more in "Playing with fire", The Economist, February 1, 2014.

Soldiers Say DCGS-A Too Difficult

A news article provides insight into the difficulties that Soldiers are having working with the Distributed Common Ground System in Afghanistan. Most intelligence analysts are using Palantir - a less expensive but more user-friendly and useful software application. Read more in "Soldiers say intel tool is too difficult", The Washington Times, February 9, 2014.

Afghan Presidential Candidates and Their Positions on Human Rights

Human Rights Watch sent out a questionnaire to the eleven presidential candidates running in the April 2014 Afghan election. Only 4 of the 11 candidates responded to the questionnaire. Topics included accountability for war crimes, women's rights, and torture. The four candidates who responded included Abdullah Abdullah, Qutbuddin Helal, Qayum Karzai, and Daoud Sultanzoy. Read more in "Afghanistan: Candidates' Positions on Rights in Spotlight", Human Rights Watch, February 9, 2014.

Profile of Afghan Candidates for President

There are eleven candidates for the office of President of Afghanistan who are running campaigns with hopes of being elected on April 5, 2014. Learn all about them in "Candidates for Afghanistan's presidential election", Charlotte Observer, February 7, 2014.

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ISAF Reports Another Insider Attack

ISAF reports that two ISAF members died when attacked by two individuals wearing Afghan National Security Force uniforms. Insider attacks in 2013 were reduced from the large number that occurred in 2012. The attack took place in eastern Afghanistan. See the ISAF news release here.
http://www.dvidshub.net/news/120511/isaf-casualties

BG Rothstein to Head NATO ATC-Afghanistan

Brig. Gen. Michael D. Rothstein, commander, 56th Fighter Wing, Air Education and Training Command, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., to commanding general, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Air Training Command-Afghanistan, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Training Mission-Afghanistan/Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, and commander, 438th Air Expeditionary Wing, Air Combat Command, Kabul, Afghanistan.

Read the news release by the U.S. Department of Defense dated February 6, 2014 here.

Afghan Soldiers Very Concerned on Departure of ISAF

Members of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) are dismayed that President Karzai has not signed the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA). They have legitimate concerns on their ability to hold off the Taliban should ISAF advisors and "enablers" depart along with much of the aid money that would pay the salaries and costs of the 350,000 man security forces. Read more in "Afghan soldiers desperate for pact with U.S. criticize President Karzai for delay", The Washington Post, February 8, 2014.

Linda Robinson Interview - Village Stability Operations and SOF

Linda Robinson, an author and observer of the Special Operations Community, was recently interviewed about her newest book. Much of the interview centered on the Village Stability Operations (VSO) program launched in 2011 by the Combined Joint Special Operations Component Command - Afghanistan (CFSOCC-A). Read the interview entitled "Village Stability Operations and the Future of the American Way of War", Small Wars Journal, February 6, 2014.

"The Patrol" - A British Film Looking at the Afghan War

A former British officer who served in Afghanistan has written and directed an independent film about the realities of war for British troops in Afghanistan. The film is entitled "The Patrol". The director was not impressed with how the war was being prosecuted and felt that counter-insurgency was not being conducted properly. Read more in "The Patrol: a British look at modern warfare", The Telegraph, February 6, 2014.

Former National Security Adviser Jim Jones Talks about Future Problems with Afghanistan and Pakistan

Retired General Jim Jones, a former national security adviser for President Obama, was interviewed by Bloomberg Television about the Afghanistan conflict (as well as Pakistan). Jones says that even if the Bilateral Security Agreement is signed the U.S. will continue to be challenged by terrorist groups operating in Pakistan. He discusses Karzai, the Bilateral Security Agreement, possible re-emergency of the Taliban, and more. Read the transcript entitled "Jones Sees Terror Threat in Afghan Pakistan Region", Bloomberg News, February 7, 2014.

Ketamine Replaces Other Drugs at Point of Injury and During Medevacs in Afghanistan

For most of Operation Enduring Freedom casualties were treated with morphine and fentanyl to ease pain. However, in the past few years a new medical initiative to treat patients at the point of injury and during the initial MEDEVAC has taken place. The use of ketamine has proven to be effective as a substitute and according to a recent news release by the military. Read "4th Infantry Division continues ketamine initiative in Afghanistan", DVIDS, February 4, 2014.

Afghan Official Confident on Elections

The head of Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission (IEC) says that there is concern for violence during the April 2014 presidential elections. However, he states a number of improvements have been made that will ensure the 2014 election will be conducted better than the 2009 presidential election that was marred by violence, voter intimidation, ballot stuffing, corruption, and fraud. The election official is hoping to avoid some of the past election problems. Read more in "Afghanistan Says Set to Ensure Elections Avoid Past Problems", The New York Times, February 9, 2014.

Malnutrition in Afghanistan on the Rise in 2013

Despite billions of foreign aid pouring into Afghanistan every year there are still pockets of hunger among children in Afghanistan. According to the United Nations malnutrition in Afghanistan is on the rise. Read more in "Salt and Terror in Afghanistan", The Huffington Post, February 6, 2014.

An Afghan Interpreter's New Life in the United States

An Afghan interpreter who worked for the U.S. military in northeastern Afghanistan for over ten years is now living in the United States. He is one of the few interpreters that the U.S. State Department has approved for a visa - the majority of those interpreters have their visa applications rejected. It took two years for him to be able to get his visa all the while under constant threat of retaliation by the Taliban for working for the U.S. military. Although he is happy that he and his family are now safe there are still some challenges in adjusting to the new country, its people and culture. Read more in "Escape from Afghanistan: A father's journey", WUSA, February 9, 2014.

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Protests Against Corruption in Oruzgan Province After Australian Withdrawal

The remote province of Oruzgan in central Afghanistan is undergoing some security, corruption, and governance difficulties just two months after the Australia withdrawal from the province. Protests have broken out in Tarin Kowt - the capital of Oruzgan. The protesters are calling attention to the collusion of the provincial governor with the Taliban. They also cite numerous instances of corruption where aid money provided by foreign donor nations have been diverted by the provincial governor. There apparently is a big rift between the provincial governor and the provincial chief of police (Matiullah Khan). Provincial governors are not elected but are appointed through a process orchestrated by President Karzai. Read more in "Afghanistan: Violent protests break out in Oruzgan two months after Australians leave", The Sidney Morning Herald, February 10, 2014.

Guidance on Common Training Standards for Security Force Assistance (SFA) (DoD January 2014)

The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness has published "Guidance on Common Training Standards for Security Force Assistance (SFA),  dated January 2014. The training standards are issued to assist the general purpose forces in sustaining the capability to perform the security force assistance or SFA mission. The pub was put together with the cooperation of USSOCOM and other defense organizations and agencies.

The primary purpose of the training standards are to: 1) "Provide a list of skills related to SAF that are common across the force and can be used as guidelines, with standards for measuring the qualifications of individuals and collective forces"; 2) "Offer a set of benchmarks for the Services to use to identify, train, and track individuals and collective forces conducting SFA"; 3) "Serve as a menu of SFA skills to help joint force commanders and planners articulate required capabilities when requesting forces".

You can read online or download the document at the link below:

Guidance on Common Training Standards for Security Force Assistance (SFA)

Sarah Chayes on Karzai - A Cozy Relationship with The Taliban

Many believe that President Hamid Karzai's behavior toward the United States is erratic and inconsistent and are having difficulty on figuring out why he has 'turned on the U.S'. Most point to the non-signing of the Bilateral Security Agreement, release of detainees with histories of attacking Americans, and his periodic out-bursts on night raids, civilian casualties, negotiations with the Taliban, and more. One very knowledgeable and long-term observer of the Afghan scene says that we shouldn't be surprised at Karzai's behavior - pointing to a "cozy history" with the Taliban in the past. Read Sarah Chayes latest opinion piece in "Hamid Karzai's cozy history with the Taliban", Los Angeles Times, February 9, 2014.

Miami Dolphin Cheerleaders Entertain Troops in Manas

Miami Dolphin cheerleaders performed on stage at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan on February 7, 2014. There were a total of five Miami Dolphin cheerleaders along with two former Miami Dolphin football players. Prior to their arrival at Manas they were on tour at several locations in Afghanistan. The National Football League has been very supportive with providing entertainment for the troops in Afghanistan. Manas will soon shut down and be replaced by a personnel transit center in Romania later this year. (Photo at left by Senior Airman George Goslin dated February 7, 2014.)

Request by Newspaper for Command Climate Report Related to Panjwai Massacre Denied by Pentagon

A request for the release of the findings of a command climate report conducted by the Army on a Special Forces base in Panjwai district, Kandahar province where the convicted murderer SFC Bales was assigned will not be released by the Pentagon. Rumors of alcohol consumption during the time that SFC Bales killed the Afghan villagers have circulated but the Army is not providing much insight into the goings-on at the camp. The Panjwai massacre took place in March 2012. Bales was convicted of murder and sentenced to life for the killing of 17 unarmed Afghan villagers to include women and children. Read more in "Could Bales have been stopped? Answers please", The Bellingham Herald, February 9, 2014.

Brief Introduction to Prime Movers in Afghan Elections

 A recent online post provides us with pictures and a brief bio of the prime movers in the upcoming April 2014 presidential elections that will be held in Afghanistan. Some of the more colorful presidential candidates are presented along with a few of the vice-presidential candidates. Read more in "Afghanistan's Future: Who's Who in Pivotal Presidential Election", NBC News, February 9, 2014.

Afghan High Peace Council Applauds Talks between Pakistan and TTP

The Afghan High Peace Council has welcomed news that peace talks have begun between the government of Pakistan and the Pakistan Taliban. For those who are unaware the Pakistan Taliban are the "bad Taliban" and the Afghan Taliban are the "good Taliban" - at least from the perspective of the Pakistani intelligence service. Read more in "Afghan Peace Council Praises Pakistan Talks", Radio Free Europe, February 7, 2014.

Afghanistan is Poppy Center of the World

Poppy Field in Zabul - Photo by SSG Brian Ferguson, DVIDS

A recent report states that there is more poppy cultivation in Afghanistan now than there was in 2002 just after the Taliban were removed from power. In the last few years poppy cultivation in Afghanistan has grown significantly. Afghanistan produced almost 90 percent of the world's opium in 2013. The United States has spent more than $10 billion since 2002 on counter-narcotics in Afghanistan. Prospects for getting the opium trade under control are dim. The U.S. military essentially walked away from opium eradication. Those programs that were funded and implemented by Afghan National Security Forces were ridden with corruption. There are some very well trained and capable counter-narcotic units in the ANSF but they are constrained by the corruption of the Karzai regime and provincial governors. Congress is in a dour mood when it comes to continued funding for anything with the name of Afghanistan attached to it. It might be time to concentrate on the demand side instead of the supply side of the heroin problem. Read more in "Afghanistan Continues to be Hub of Poppy Cultivation", Voice of America, February 8, 2014.

U.S. Won't Freeze Haqqani Cash Assets

A recent news report states that the U.S. has not frozen any of the Haqqani Network financial assets. This has prompted some criticism from members of Congress and other counter-terrorist experts. The U.S. has frozen the assets of some individual members designated as terrorists who belong to the Haqqani Network. Read more in "U.S. Won't Seize Taliban Ally's Cash", The Daily Beast, February 7, 2014.

U.S. Senators Seek Vote on Future Afghan Involvement

A group of Democrat and Republican Senators say they want a vote on the future U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. See "Senators Seek Vote on US Troops in Afghanistan", Associated Press, February 6, 2014.

242nd Engineer Detachment Heading to Afghanistan

The Connecticut Army National Guard has mobilized the 242nd Engineer Detachment (Construction Management Team) to deploy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The unit is now training at Fort Bliss, Texas and then will move on to Afghanistan to serve as a part of an engineer task force that is deconstructing and consolidating coalition bases as part of the retrograde process. Read more in "National Guard unit heads to Afghanistan", The Day, February 6, 2014.

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ANSF Can "Clear" but Not "Hold"

In what is painfully obvious to most observers of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) is that fact that the ANSF can conduct clearing operations but they can't conduct hold operations very well. Of course, that is one of the principal reasons that the "Build" phrase of the counterinsurgency effort suffered such mixed results. So the ability of the ANSF to "clear, hold, and build" is lacking. In countering an insurgency being able to "clear, hold, and build" is crucial. Almost all ISAF members from brigade level on down recognize this fact. However, ISAF continues its information operations campaign that the ANSF can protect the population, has emerged from the 2013 fighting season on top of the Taliban, and is capable of conducting operations in the future that will keep the Taliban at bay. This does a disservice to those who want the real story (or perhaps the complete story). Fortunately there are leaders still left in the military that tell it like it is. Enter LTG Flynn, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), who will be testifying on Tuesday (Feb 10, 2014) at a Senate hearing. Those familiar with LTG Flynn know he doesn't pull any punches. Read more in "Afghan Forces Struggle to Hold Land, Defense Agency Says", Bloomberg News, February 10, 2014.

Former DCOM CSTC-A to be Promoted (MG Michael Williamson)

Army MG Michael Williamson has been selected for appointment to the rank of Lieutenant General and assignment as military deputy/director, Army Acquisition Corps in Washington, D.C. He most recently served as deputy commanding general, Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan. Read the news release "General Officer Announcement", U.S. Department of Defense, February 10, 2014.

Car Bomb Kills Two Civilian Contractors in Afghanistan

Two civilian contractors (reportedly Americans) were killed in a vehicle borne IED or VBIED in the Kabul area on Monday. The attack took place near the country's largest detention center in eastern Kabul. See the official news release in "ISAF Casualty", ISAF News, February 10, 2014. In a separate report (but possibly describing the same incident) three advisers were reported killed in the center of Kabul. Read more in "Three advisers killed in blast near center in Kabul", Stars and Stripes, February 10, 2014. There is a little confusion on the number of contractors - whether it was two or three. Here is an update from Stars and Stripes.

C-17 Globemasters Working Overtime for Afghan Retrograde

U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircrews are working around the clock to support Operation Enduring Freedom retrograde operations, airlifting equipment out of Afghanistan and fulfilling a vital role at one of U.S. Central Command's regional deployment and distribution operations centers, strategically located air, land and sea logistics hubs. Airmen of the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron fly multiple sorties a day to airlift mine resistant ambush protected vehicles out of Afghanistan. The MRAPs are airlifted out of Afghanistan to one of the transit locations where they are then loaded onto ships and sent on to the United States. Read the rest of the story in "Combat airlift role critical to retrograde operations", DVIDS, February 4, 2014. Photo from DVIDS photo libary.

Afghan Interpreters in Limbo - State Department Identified as Culprit

Read the story of an Afghan interpreter who has been waiting five years for his U.S. visa - U.S. visa backlog leaves Afghan interpreters in limbo, The Seattle Times, February 8, 2014.

III Corps Departs Afghanistan

III Corps has been the nucleus of the ISAF Joint Command (IJC) for the past year. It is now departing for its home base of Fort Hood, Texas. III Corps will be replaced by 18th Airborne Corps from Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The outgoing commander, LTG Mark Milley, provided some comments during his change of command about the situation in Afghanistan. He said that a lot of progress has been made but there certainly is more work left to do to include providing assistance to the Afghan National Security Force as they get ready for the presidential elections in April. Read more in "III Corps leaves Afghanistan", Killeen Daily Herald, February 9, 2014.

New Commander for ISAF Joint Command (IJC)

The commander of the 18th Airborne Corps from Fort Bragg, North Carolina has assumed command of ISAF Joint Command (IJC) from LTG Mark Milley of III Corps. Lieutenant General Joseph Anderson is a West Point graduate who has completed a number of military schools and training courses (Airborne, Ranger, Infantry, staff college, etc.). He has served in many demanding assignments throughout his army career and in quite a few of the Army's infantry units to include 4th Infantry, 5th Infantry (Mech), 75th Ranger Regiment, 187th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne, 25th Infantry, and 101st Air Assault Division. In reviewing his bio posted on the Fort Bragg website one can see that  LTG Anderson has commanded and worked at all levels of the Army and has completed a some advanced degrees as well. He has had multiple deployments around the world to include the Balkans, Panama, and three tours in Iraq. Of note is the absence of any deployment time in Afghanistan. "Hmmmm". . . . . I am sure he is a quick learner.