{"id":14627,"date":"2015-12-13T19:05:00","date_gmt":"2015-12-13T19:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2015\/12\/13\/commentary-commitment-to-afghan-national-defense-and-security-forces-is-working\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:25:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:25:11","slug":"commentary-commitment-to-afghan-national-defense-and-security-forces-is-working","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/commentary\/2015\/12\/13\/commentary-commitment-to-afghan-national-defense-and-security-forces-is-working\/","title":{"rendered":"Commentary: Commitment to Afghan National Defense and Security Forces Is Working"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Over the last year, the government <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">Government of the Islamic Republic<\/span>\u200b of Afghanistan <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">(GIRoA)<\/span>\u200b experienced multiple transitions within itself, the <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">C<\/span>\u200bcoalition, enemy forces<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">,<\/span>\u200b and the region. The National Unity Government (NUG) formed after a prolonged election, allowing for a peaceful transfer of power from President Karzai to President Ghani. The NUG also proved to be a truly unique political arrangement in Afghanistan&#8217;s history, establishing both a president and chief executive. Resolute Support (RS) supplanted the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission, focusing on training, advising<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">,<\/span>\u200b and assisting the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). The influx of militants pushed into Afghanistan by successful Pakistani operations exacerbated an already volatile insurgent environment. New alliances and fissures within the Taliban following the July announcement of the death of Mullah Omar, a persistent al-Qa<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">e<\/span>\u200bida, and the continued emergence of the Islamic State-Khorosan Province (IS-KP), or Daesh, also changed the landscape.<br\/><br\/>In the wake of the <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">C<\/span>\u200bcoalition&#8217;s drawdown, the ANDSF and insurgents both accepted that this year could be decisive. The fighting has been near continuous, casualties on both sides have risen, and violence has moved beyond traditional Taliban strongholds. Although the ANDSF experienced setbacks, such as in Kunduz in early October, they quickly regrouped and retook ground in a matter of days or weeks. No insurgent group is gaining or holding ground in Afghanistan, and the Taliban have once again failed to achieve their strategic objectives. The ANDSF have improved in many respects, but still require assistance in close air support capabilities, logistics and force generation. They have initiated reforms to address corruption, promote human rights and gender equality, and for the first time are developing a comprehensive <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">W<\/span>\u200bwinter <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">C<\/span>\u200bcampaign. In a greatly contested environment, they have held firm, are motivated<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">,<\/span>\u200b and demonstrate significant professionalism.<br\/><br\/>President Obama&#8217;s decision to extend current force structure and basing through January 2017 has been well-received here. Operationally, the decision gave NATO the opportunity to display similar flexibility and resolve in maintaining our persistent regional presence. It is through this presence that we will maintain our influence and continue building the ANDSF. Strategically, this decision provided the Afghans with a psychological boost and undermined the insurgencies&#8217; narrative that they can, and are, driving us out. Our commitment shows that insurgents cannot win militarily, and that the only end to this conflict will come from peace talks and reconciliation.<br\/><br\/>The RS Coalition has demonstrated more cohesion, resilience<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">,<\/span>\u200b and effectiveness than any other of its size in recent history. The ANDSF fully understand the importance of 2016 and are dedicated to improving. We stand firm in support of the ANDSF and <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">GIRoA<\/span>\u200b the Afghan government, while seeking out those who wish harm on our homelands. I am confident we will prevail and remain optimistic about the future of Afghanistan. To see this mission through is the greatest legacy we can create in honor of our fallen and their families.<br\/><br\/><em>Campbell is commander of the Resolute Support Mission and US Forces\u2013Afghanistan (COMRS).<\/em><br\/><br\/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8216;No insurgent group is gaining or holding ground in Afghanistan, and the Taliban have failed to achieve their strategic objectives.&#8217;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":27240,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":66,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[66,33,17,18],"tags":[],"coauthors":[1929],"class_list":["post-14627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary","category-home","category-opinion","category-outlook"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"IE3YP4ONQVCKRES3OWCHJHWAHU","arc_canonical_url":"\/opinion\/commentary\/2015\/12\/13\/commentary-commitment-to-afghan-national-defense-and-security-forces-is-working\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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