HQ$History - United States Special Operations Command

north and operating out of K2, while a second
one continued operating in the south out of
Kandahar. The third FOB trained the ANA in
Kabul. FOB 31 handed the responsibility to
FOB 195 in October 2002, and then reassumed
the training mission in April 2003. In July 2003,
the CJSOTF handed over its ANA initial training
duties to TF PHOENIX, a National Guard
headquarters, which assumed responsibility for
this training.
Appointed the executive agent for
Afghanistan by U.S. Army Special Forces
Command (USASFC), 3rd SFG (A) would bear
the lion’s share of unit rotations from the active
duty forces. To provide 3rd SFG (A) battalions
some relief, USASFC, responsible for deploying
SF units, had activated several National Guard
Battalions from 19th and 20th SFGs through
early 2004. While NG battalions certainly provided
much needed relief during 2002-03, their
activations meant that they would not be available
en masse for several more years. Thus,
USASFC, responsible for deploying SF units,
developed a long-term force rotation that alternated
3rd and 7th SFGs into Afghanistan, beginning
in 2004. USASFC also stabilized rotation
length to seven months for the SF elements in
country. NSW forces conducted six-month
deployments while AFSOC element deployments
were usually four months.
USASFC’s changes to the rotation plan coincided
with significant changes on the battlefield.
Shortly before the transition of ANA training in
Kabul, ISAF (International Security Assistance
Force (NATO)) agreed to assume responsibility
for northern Afghanistan. The CJSOTF thus
pulled its forces from places like Mazar-e Sharif
and also ceased operations out of K2 in
September 2003. To align its forces with the
future CJTF template, the CJSOTF established
an FOB in Bagram during the summer of 2003.
By the end of that year, the CJSOTF had
reduced its SF signature from three to two battalions,
with the FOB at Bagram commanding
forces in Regional Command (RC) East, and the
FOB at Kandahar controlling forces in RC
South.
CJSOTF-A retained TACON of CSOF, and
while many of these forces had redeployed by
2003, some of them made subsequent deployments
to OEF. Additionally, other countries
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joined the coalition, providing SOF to the
CJSOTF for various lengths of deployment. The
two remaining FOBs, along with NSW elements,
found themselves engaging in significantly more
DA and SR missions during the summer and fall
of 2003 than originally anticipated. Still, the
CJSOTF’s primary focus was to disrupt the
remaining ACM network within the interior of
Afghanistan. While forces were certainly positioned
to interdict the flow of insurgents from
Pakistan, this task remained a local one for the
detachments.
ISAF’s Role
Following the fall of the Taliban regime in
November 2001, factions from Afghanistan
gathered in Bonn, Germany, to develop a
plan for Afghanistan’s future. The Afghan
leaders signed an agreement on 5 December
2001, establishing an interim government
and setting milestones for establishment of
an army, a constitution, and presidential and
parliamentary elections. Six days later, on
11 December, Hamid Karzai was sworn in as
Prime Minister of the interim government.
With the Bonn Agreement in place, the
international community pledged support to
help the new government and committed an
International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF). ISAF was to assist the Government
of Afghanistan (GOA) and the international
community by maintaining security within
its area of operation. Additionally ISAF
would support GOA efforts to provide a safe
and secure environment for elections, spread
the rule of law, and assist in the reconstruction
of the country.
Initially, ISAF focused on securing Kabul.
In August 2003, the UN Security Council
authorized the expansion of the ISAF mission
beyond Kabul, and in August 2004, NATO
assumed authority for ISAF. Over time,
ISAF took over responsibility for security
operations from the U.S.-led coalition in the
regional commands (RCs) established
throughout the country. ISAF would take
over RC North in October 2003, RC West in
September 2005, RC South in July 2006, and
RC East in October 2006.