International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Joint Command (IJC), formally ceased operations today during a ceremony at IJC headquarters at Kabul International Airport, according to an ISAF press release. The command, which handled the day-to-day operations of the ISAF, formally cased its colors during a ceremony held today.
The “casing of colors” ceremony symbolizes the end of the IJC mission.
“You’ve done your job well; so well, that you’ve worked yourself out of a job,” said Campbell.
“Today, IJC will be subsumed into a coalition that is soon downsizing to about 13,000 personnel,” said Gen. John F. Campbell, Commander ISAF. “This is a historic transformation and reflects the progress that our coalition has made with our Afghan partners. As the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) have become increasingly capable, we shift our focus from combat operations to building (ANSF) systems and processes to ensure long term sustainability.”
The ISAF color guard marches during the ISAF Joint Command (IJC) and XVIII Airborne Corps colors casing ceremony, Dec 8, 2014 at North Kabul Afghanistan International Airport, Afghanistan. The IJC’s five year mission was to provide comprehensive operations to neutralize the insurgency in specified areas, and support improved governance and development in order to protect the Afghan people and provide a secure environment for sustainable peace. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Perry Aston
Stood up in 2009, IJC served as NATO’s operational headquarters in Afghanistan. Working in partnership with Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and NATO partner nations, the command’s mission was to “conduct population-centric comprehensive operations to neutralize the insurgency and support improved governance and development in order to protect the Afghan people and provide a secure environment for sustainable peace,” according to the release.
“You’ve done your job well; so well, that you’ve worked yourself out of a job,” said Campbell.
ISAF is transitioning, beginning Jan. 1, 2015, to the NATO-led Resolute Support (RS) mission, focusing on training, advising and assisting Afghan security institutions and ANSF at every level – ministerial, institutional, and operational.