Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s top general said Thursday that security in Afghanistan has improved enough for him to walk through a once-hostile road in a soft cap without fear of insurgent attacks.
“Life is more normal, and Afghan security forces are increasingly taking the lead,” Scaparrotti said in remarks to Tacoma-area news outlets.
He’s serving in Afghanistan as the war’s deputy commander with about 550 soldiers from Lewis-McChord’s headquarters unit, the I Corps. They hit the ground in July and are expected to return next summer.
It’s his second recent assignment in the country. He commanded the 82nd Airborne Division in a 2009-10 deployment in eastern Afghanistan just before he arrived at Lewis-McChord.
Scaparrotti delivered a mostly upbeat message, citing security gains in southern Afghanistan and an overall decline in the number of insurgent attacks compared with the previous summer.
“That’s one of the remarkable things we’ve seen,” he said.
South Sound military families hope that trend holds as Lewis-McChord prepares to send one of its three infantry brigades to Afghanistan this winter, the base’s first major deployment since 2009. About 3,500 soldiers from the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division are to arrive there in December. Scaparrotti said service members deploying to Afghanistan will work hard.
“This is going to a tough one to carry forward to 2014,” he said. “We can do this with continued support from the coalition to see this through. It’s strategic, it’s important and it’s right.”
Scaparrotti’s assignment calls on him to balance a drawdown in U.S. forces with demands to fight against insurgent networks in eastern and southern Afghanistan that are still capable of doing damage.
Though attacks declined overall, they continued to rise in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces bordering Pakistan. The recent toll from that region includes two Lewis-McChord soldiers from the 2nd Battalion 75th Regiment since late September.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has reported an increase in civilian deaths over the first half of this year. Scaparrotti said he’s studying those reports to gauge whether NATO forces are responsible for some of that increase.
Close to 100,000 American forces are stationed in Afghanistan today. About 10,000 are expected to leave by the end of this year.
Scaparrotti said President Obama’s “surge” of American forces in Afghanistan paid off with tangible security gains that set the conditions for improved governance. Afghanistan’s security forces now number more than 305,000 soldiers and officers.
With those gains, Scaparrotti said Western forces should be able to hold their ground even as they reduce their ranks in Afghanistan.
“I don’t have reservations about being able to keep up our tempo even as we begin our surge recovery,” he said.
Scaparrotti spoke with local media in part to give an update on I Corps soldiers. He said their morale is high, and they appreciate care packages they receive.
“They know they’re making a difference; they know the mission is important,” he said.
Scaparrotti met with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday as she touched down in Kabul and Islamabad to discuss Afghanistan’s long-term outlook.
“I know the message is that the U.S. fully engaged in establishing a stable and secure Afghanistan,” Scaparrotti said. “She spoke of her commitment and assured them we will be with them.”
Adam Ashton: 253-597-8646
adam.ashton@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/military
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