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Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve

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Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve
Founders United States
Founding leaderUnited States Central Command
Current CommanderUnited States MG Kevin C. Leahy[2]
Deputy
Commander		United Kingdom Brig. Ben Halsted[3]
Chief of StaffUnited States Brig Gen Jeffrey T. Schreiner[4]
Senior Enlisted LeaderUnited States CMDCM Timothy L. Garman[5]
SpokespersonUnited States Col. Myles B. Caggins III
Dates of operation10 October 2014 – present
(10 years, 1 month and 3 days)[6][7][8]
HeadquartersKuwait[9][10]
Size6,350[11][12]
Part ofCENTCOM
Allies
Contributing nations:[16]
Opponents Ba'ath Party
 Syria
 Iran
 Islamic State
Tahrir al-Sham
al-Qaeda
White Flags[17]
Battles and warsInternational campaign against ISIL
Patch
Websitewww.inherentresolve.mil

Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF–OIR) is a multinational military formation established by the U.S.-led international coalition against the Islamic State with the stated aim to "degrade and destroy" the organization.[18] Led by United States Army Central (ARCENT), it is composed of military forces and personnel from over 30 countries.[19][1][20]

Formed in October 2014 by U.S. Central Command,[7] CJTF-OIR was intended to replace the ad hoc arrangements that had been established to coordinate operations against ISIL, following its rapid gains in Iraq in June.[1][21] Its central military action, Operation Inherent Resolve, consists of campaigns in Iraq, Syria, and Libya. The current commander of the coalition is U.S. Army Major General Matthew W. McFarlane.

The bulk of CJTF-OIR's combat operations have consisted of airstrikes against Islamic State; various ground forces have been deployed including special forces, artillery, training, and military advisors. The United States accounts for the vast majority of airstrikes (75–80%), with the remainder conducted by Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, Belgium, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.[22] Although the task force is not under NATO, all 32 members of the military alliance are contributing to CJTF-OIR.[23]

By the end of 2017, CJTF-OIR stated that its airstrikes had killed over 80,000 ISIL fighters.[24] The coalition also provided $3.5 billion in military equipment to the Iraqi Armed Forces,[25] billions more to the Peshmerga, and trained 189,000 Iraqi soldiers and police.[26] It has also provided significant support to the Syrian Democratic Forces, with which it coordinates various operations.[27]

The coalition ended its combat mission in Iraq in December 2021, but U.S. troops remain in the country in a training and advisory role.[28][29]. In September 2024 the Department of Defense announced a "two-phase transition plan" for CJTF-OIR operations in Iraq. In the first phase, finishing in September 2025, the coalition’s military mission in Iraq would end, meaning coalition forces would withdraw from certain locations in Iraq as mutually determined. Therefore, the two-phase transition period in Iraq began in September 2024 and will end in September 2026 [30].

Structure

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Brig. Gen. Richard Bell, deputy commander of CJTF-OIR, visiting coalition personnel at Al Asad Airbase, Iraq on 24 July 2021

As of September 2019, U.S. Army Lieutenant General Robert "Pat" White commanded CJTF-OIR[31] in an appointment which consolidated three commander's tasks. White is also the commander of the U.S. III Corps, which assumed authority over CJTF-OIR from ARCENT on 22 September 2015, turned over its command to XVIII Airborne Corps in August 2016, and then resumed command on 5 September 2017.[32] White has two deputies, a British Army officer, Major General Gerald Strickland, who is currently serving as CJTF-OIR Deputy Commander-Stability, and a U.S. Air Force officer, Major General Alexus G. Grynkewich, who is currently serving as CJTF-OIR Deputy Commander-Operations and Intelligence.[33] CJTF-OIR's headquarters is at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait and includes approximately 700 personnel from 27 nations who are involved in coordinating operations in Iraq and Syria.[34]

Lt. Gen. White handed over operational control to Lt. Gen. Paul Calvert on 9 September, 2020.[35] Command was subsequently passed to Maj. Gen. John Brennan on 9 September 2021.[36]

A dozen countries not involved in combat operations still contribute to the Building Capacity Mission (BPC) in Iraq. Those who have announced their participation in the program, which trains Iraqi security forces, include the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Slovenia, [37] and Spain. As a result of the BPC program, nearly 6,500 Iraqi forces completed training, with approximately 5,400 currently in training.[38]

Combined Special Operations Joint Task Force-Levant

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The Special Operations Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (SOJTF-OIR) patch in 2017

Combined Special Operations Joint Task Force-Levant (CSOJTF-Levant) was initially known as Special Operations Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (SOJTF-OIR), formed in 2015 as a joint special operations task force that is regarded as spearheading CJTF-OIR's campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.[39] SOJTF-Levant serves under Special Operations Command Central and has trained special operations units in the region.[39][40]

Special Operations Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve was restructured, consolidated, and quietly established as Combined Special Operations Joint Task Force-Levant on 1 July 2022. CSOJTF-Levant was to oversee a broader, regional approach to special operations, including activities in Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt, commanded by Army Brig. Gen. Isaac J. Peltier. According to retired Army general and former USSOCOM and USCENTCOM commander Joseph Votel, the consolidated task force was "a maturing of our overall approach in the region", adding that CSOJTF-L combines "multiple SOF headquarters and units that were conducting a variety of missions across" the area of responsibility.[39][40]

History

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CJTF-OIR commander Major General John W. Brennan, Jr. holds a meeting with coalition personnel at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, 28 January 2022

From August 2014 to August 2015, coalition aircraft flew a total of 45,259 sorties, with the U.S. Air Force flying the majority (67%) and dropped more than 5,600 bombs, the Royal Air Force conducted 30% of the airstrikes.[41] At the time, The Guardian reported that a team of independent journalists had published details of 52 airstrikes which killed more than 450 civilians. The coalition acknowledged only 2 non-combatant deaths.[42]

On 3 October 2015, Tunisia announced it would join CJTF–OIR.[43]

By April 2017, CJTF-OIR estimated that it had killed 70,000 Islamic State fighters since 2014, with Special Operations Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve killing "over 21,000". The War Zone magazine estimated that SOJTF-OIR was responsible "for around 30 percent of all dead terrorists in Iraq and Syria", adding "we don't know whether SOJTF-OIR counts terrorists who died in air or artillery strikes its personnel called in among the task force's final count."[44]

On 14 April 2017, members of SOJTF-OIR's headquarters element received new, distinctive patches, replacing the interim 1st Special Forces Group unit patch.[44]

On 22 December 2018, three days after Donald Trump announced the U.S. would withdraw all its troops from Syria, Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy to the coalition against ISIL, announced his resignation from his post.[45]

In April 2019, a joint investigation by Amnesty International and Airwars reported that 1,600 civilians were killed by coalition airstrikes and U.S. artillery shelling during the four-month battle to capture the Syrian city of Raqqa from ISIL in 2017.[46][47] The Coalition states it conducted 34,464 strikes against ISIL targets between 8 August 2014 and end of March 2019, and unintentionally killed at least 1,291 civilians.[48][49][50][51]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Rosen, Armin (9 December 2014). "The US-Led War On ISIS Now Has A Logo". Business Insider Australia. Archived from the original on 10 December 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  2. ^ "Maj. Gen. Kevin C. Leahy". Operation Inherent Resolve. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  3. ^ "Deputy Commanding General, Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve". Operation Inherent Resolve. January 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Chief of Staff, Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve". Operation Inherent Resolve. January 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Command Senior Enlisted Leader, Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve". Operation Inherent Resolve. January 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  6. ^ "Defense.gov News Article: DoD Authorizes War on Terror Award for Inherent Resolve Ops". Defense.gov. Archived from the original on 11 November 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  7. ^ a b "Inside the Coalition to defeat ISIL" (PDF). Combined Joint Task Force – U.S. Department of Defense. 21 April 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  8. ^ Kohn, Sally (14 October 2014). "Warren and Christie Are the Anti-Hillarys". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 27 October 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  9. ^ "4,600 international troops pledged to train Iraqi forces". Military Times. 8 December 2014. Archived from the original on 28 June 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  10. ^ Georgy, Michael (13 June 2015). "Militants attack government forces near Iraq's Baiji refinery". Reuters. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  11. ^ "4,600 International Troops Pledged to Train Iraqi Forces". militarytimes.com. 8 December 2014. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  12. ^ Harper, Jon (19 December 2014). "1,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne headed to Iraq". Stars and Stripes. Archived from the original on 11 August 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  13. ^ Nations providing all forms of support, including direct participation in combat operations.
  14. ^ Spokesperson, Office of the (3 December 2014). "Joint Statement Issued by Partners at the Counter-ISIL Coalition Ministerial Meeting". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 14 May 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2019. Participants commended the efforts of the Lebanese Armed Forces in fighting ISIL/Daesh, and noted that ISIL/Daesh's finances and recruitment are also increasingly being challenged through international cooperation. Participants affirmed, however, that a successful campaign against ISIL/Daesh will take time, and will require a sustained, united, and coordinated response. Participants reiterated their long-term commitment to this effort.
  15. ^ Nations providing military materiel, economic aid, advisers, trainers, and other forms of support, but not directly participating in combat operations.
  16. ^ "Partners of the Global Coalition". State.gov. 22 December 2018. Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  17. ^ Schogol, Jeff (25 April 2018). "A 'post-ISIS insurgency' is gaining steam in Iraq". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 1 May 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  18. ^ Pomerleau, Mark (14 August 2015). "Can the US really destroy terrorist groups like ISIS?". The Hill. Archived from the original on 15 August 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
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  20. ^ Katz, Whitney (13 January 2015). "JECC assists in the establishment of Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve" (Press release). JECC Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  21. ^ Ripley, Tim (9 December 2014). "US sets up new headquarters for Operation 'Inherent Resolve'". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. Archived from the original on 1 June 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  22. ^ Special Reports: Operation Inherent Resolve. U.S. Department of Defense. Archived from 28 March 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2019 via the Wayback Machine.
  23. ^ "NATO". Archived from the original on 3 July 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  24. ^ "Once promised paradise, ISIS fighters end up in mass graves". The Straits Times. 15 October 2017. Archived from the original on 12 December 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  25. ^ CJTF-OIR Official Twitter. Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine 20 March 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  26. ^ CJTF-OIR Official Twitter. Archived 15 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine 15 March 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  27. ^ "Coalition retraining 15,000 veteran SDF fighters to serve as Syrian border force". 13 January 2018.
  28. ^ "US-led combat mission in Iraq ends, shifting to advisory role". aljazeera.com.
  29. ^ "U.S.-led troops end Iraq combat mission, as planned - military officials". reuters.com. 9 December 2021.
  30. ^ "Inherent Resolve Mission in Iraq and Syria Transitioning". U.S. Department of Defense. 27 September 2024.
  31. ^ "New Operation Inherent Resolve commander continues fight against ISIL". U.S. Army. 2 August 2016. Archived from the original on 23 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2016. Army Lt. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, commanding general of XVIII Airborne Corps based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, assumed command of Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve during a transfer of authority ceremony on Monday August 21.
  32. ^ "CJTF-OIR transitions commanders in the mission to destroy ISIS". Operation Inherent Resolve. 5 September 2017. Archived from the original on 16 July 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  33. ^ "CJTF-OIR Leaders". Operational Inherent Resolve Official Website. 9 May 2016. Archived from the original on 6 April 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  34. ^ Lekic, Slobodan; Simoes, Hendrick (19 May 2015). "Islamic State tactics and lack of intel strain US strategy". Stars and Stripes. Archived from the original on 21 September 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
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  36. ^ "Coalition Welcomes New Commander, Continues Mission". US CENT COM. 10 September 2021. Archived from the original on 16 April 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  37. ^ "Prvi slovenski vojaki so prispeli v iraški Kurdistan". Archived from the original on 7 September 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  38. ^ "Counter-ISIL military coalition concludes operational planning conference" (Press release). U.S. Central Command. 1 May 2015. Archived from the original on 13 June 2015. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  39. ^ a b c "After 7 years, a US-led task force fighting ISIS is getting a new name and taking a new approach to its mission". Business Insider. 30 November 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  40. ^ a b "Special ops task force in Middle East restructured for 'broad, regional' ISIS fight". Military Times. 1 November 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  41. ^ Everstine, Brian (7 August 2015). "Operation Inherent Resolve: One year after the first bombs fell". AirForce Times. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  42. ^ Ross, Alice (3 August 2015). "Hundreds of civilians killed in US-led air strikes on Isis targets – report". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 May 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  43. ^ "Targets of Russian airstrikes in question". The Daily Star Newspaper – Lebanon. 5 October 2015. Archived from the original on 14 November 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  44. ^ a b Trevithick, Joseph (1 May 2017). "How a Secretive Special Operations Task Force Is Taking the Fight to ISIS". The Drive. Archived from the original on 9 February 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  45. ^ Shaw, Adam (22 December 2018). "Brett McGurk, US envoy to anti-ISIS coalition, resigns in wake of Trump decision to pull troops from Syria". Fox News Channel. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  46. ^ "Groups say airstrikes by US-led coalition killed 1,600 civilians in Raqqa". MilitaryTimes. 25 April 2019. Archived from the original on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  47. ^ "At least 1,600 civilians died in US-led Coalition actions at Raqqa, major new study finds". Airwars. 2 April 2019. Archived from the original on 7 May 2019. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  48. ^ "US-led coalition 'killed 1,600 civilians' in Syria's Raqqa". Al Jazeera. 25 April 2019. Archived from the original on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  49. ^ Martinez, Luis (25 April 2019). "Coalition strikes killed 1,600 civilians in Raqqa says new report". ABC News. Archived from the original on 27 April 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  50. ^ Hansler, Jennifer; Browne, Ryan (25 April 2019). "Report: US-led coalition killed 1,600 civilians in Raqqa in 2017". CNN. Archived from the original on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  51. ^ "IS conflict: Coalition strikes on Raqqa 'killed 1,600 civilians'". BBC. 25 April 2019. Archived from the original on 27 April 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
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