This is the letter General Petraeus sent to the troops today as he took command in Afghanistan. Our thoughts and prayers are with him in his new assignment.
HEADQUARTERS
International Security Assistance Force/
4 July 2010
HQ ISAF
To the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Civilians of NATO's International Security Assistance Force:
We serve in
This has been a hard fight. As you have soldiered together with our Afghan partners to reverse the Taliban momentum and to take away Taliban safe havens, the enemy has fought back. ISAF and Afghan Forces sustained particularly tough losses last month. Nonetheless, in the face of an enemy willing to carry out the most barbaric of attacks, progress has been achieved in some critical areas, and we are poised to realize more.
This effort is a contest of wills. Our enemies will do all that they can to shake our confidence and the confidence of the Afghan people. In turn, we must continue to demonstrate our resolve to the enemy.
We will do so through our relentless pursuit of the Taliban and others who mean
Together with our Afghan partners, we must secure and serve the people of
This endeavor has to be a team effort. We must strive to contribute to the "Team of Teams" at work in
We must also continue our emphasis on reducing the loss of Innocent civilian life to an absolute minimum. We must never forget that the decisive terrain in
Protecting those we are here to help nonetheless does require killing, capturing, or turning the insurgents. We will not shrink from that; indeed, you have been taking the fight to the enemy and we will continue to do so. Beyond that, as you and our Afghan partners on the ground get into tough situations, we must employ all assets to ensure your safety, keeping in mind, again, the importance of avoiding civilian casualties.
I appreciate your sacrifices and those of your families as we serve in a mission of vital importance to the people of
(It is a privilege to serve with you.)
DAVID H. PETRAEUS
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