Today was a bittersweet yet historic day as the United Kingdom and the United States Marine Corps held a solemn ceremony marking their completion of combat operations in Helmand Province. I was honored to witness this event. We can never forget the service and sacrifices made by those coalition members and their Families who served there. This is part of an ongoing transition across Afghanistan, as the Afghans have proven they are capable and ready to take on the responsibility of securing their own country. They will still need some help, primarily at the institutional and ministerial levels, with things such as budget development, air support, intelligence, and force management. These are the things we will focus on during the Resolute Support mission which begins early next year.
Posted on: Sun, 26 Oct 2014 16:42:22 +0000